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“Missing Soldiers” Returned to Gettysburg |
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A unique, quarter-plate tintype of two Minnesota brothers who fought side by side at Gettysburg, one of whom was killed in action, has been returned to the National Park Service more than 30 years after its disappearance.
The striking image shows brothers Patrick and Isaac Taylor of Company E, First Minnesota Infantry. On July 2, 1863 as the center of the Union line was at its weakest, Patrick and Isaac participated in the deadly charge of the 1st Minnesota against overwhelming Confederate forces. Patrick survived the charge but Isaac did not.
In 1968, photographic historian William A. Frassanito took note of the striking tintype while securing copies of imagery at the Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP) archives. He had completing his copy work that day but still had two exposures left in his camera. “So, on a whim,” said Frassanito, “I decided to copy two of the park’s most outstanding tintypes, one of which depicted the Taylor brothers. The rest is history.”
Nine years later, after the GNMP had relocated its archives, Frassanito discovered that the image was missing and alerted park officials. The park could not explain its absence and had not made a photographic copy of the unpublished tintype. Tintypes are singlepositive photographs, which are actually printed on a form of iron—the name “tintype” is a misnomer. Since there is no negative, Frassanito now had the only known copy made directly from the original image.
Almost twenty years later, Frassanito published his copy of the Taylor brothers tintype in his 1995 book Early Photography at Gettysburg. In his book, Frassanito told the story of the missing image and hoped that his publishing it would “one day lead to the recovery of the original.” This is precisely what happened. On April 24, 2006 the GNMP received an anonymous package containing the long missing tintype with a note reading:
Dear Sir: Recently came to our understanding that this photo may
belong to the park; its collection. Was located in effects of former,
deceased relative. With many apologies to ---- all?
“I was taken aback that the image found its way home after all these years of absence,” said Greg Goodell head of GNMP’s Museum Services. “How it went missing remains a mystery, but we’re glad to have the tintype back in the Park’s collection.”
It is unlikely that the image would have ever been returned had it not been for Frassanito’s publication of the image along with the story of its apparent demise. “It was deeply satisfying for me to learn that, after all these years, my efforts at publicizing the fate of the original tintype finally produced the desired result, said Frassanito. “Better late than never.”
The image of the Taylor brothers will be reproduced and incorporated into the new GNMP Visitors Center interpretive exhibits slated to open in the spring of 2008.
Patrick (left) and Isaac Taylor, scanned from the original quarter-plate tintype, ca. 1861. Image courtesy of the National Park Service.
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| Patrick (left) and Isaac Taylor, scanned from the original quarter-plate tintype, ca. 1861. Image courtesy of the National Park Service. |
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