I have three photos to share with you today.  All are carte-de-visite, size 2.5 x 4 inches.  And they are from the Civil War era – 1860-1865.

This first photo is a good example of the oversized clothing men wore at this time.  The sleeves of the jacket are huge!  The lapels, wide.  A very thin tie, tied in a simple bow was the norm for this time period.  As you can tell the photo is in bad shape.  But  you can still see what a handsome gentleman he was.

This gentleman’s tie is the same as the first.  Even the pants were oversized in this era.  Only the top button on the vest is fastened – same as in the first photo.  Don’t you love his curly hair!

Our third photo is full-length.  You can see how the length of the coat comes to the the knees.  This gentleman’s vest matches his pants and is fully buttoned.  Again that curly hair!  He wears a pinky ring on his left hand.

All three photos are good examples of how your ancestors might have dressed during the 1860’s.