[Ashbys]

Thank you Susan,

I am trying, but I wish I had done a bit more research to find a side view of Tad.

The child is Thomas ( Tad) Lincoln. In the photo here he would have been about 10 years old. Tad was quite the terror of the White house, Abe's disclipine was more than lax , and Tad enjoyed that fact to an extent beyond anything that would be even considered today. Everything from forcing the servants to do militarty drills to spraying the Heads of State with firehoses.
His older brother is much better known Robert (Todd) Lincoln who served on General Grants staff durning the war, and was present durning the surrender of Lee.
Tad died in 1871 of TB. At the age of 18.

Garry

[Callynne]

Garry, that is just fantastic! I love the work you do, taking a picture and bringing it to life....what a gift!! Thanks for sharing it with us! Deborah

[Mottles]

Ash, the addition of the second figure has really added even more interest to your portrait. Your work on this is really nice you have a really good feel for relief portrait work.
Irish excellent observation about the material needed for a shirt of Lincoln's time. I looked into making a prairie shirt and found the same amount of material needed. Went to the western store and bought one instead. LOL
Kathy

[Kenny_S]

A little story about my grandfather who died at the age of 93 in 1971.
His story and I have to believe him as he was a straight up guy.
He was the only boy out of eight kids and he was the youngest also. Well, when he started to school, I guess around 5 or 6 his mother put him in a pair of pants, He said he cried because he wanted his dress back on. Appears he wore nothing but dresses from the time he was born in 1878 till he started to school.
Wished I had paid more attention to him and what he had seen in his life. Those things are gone for good.

[Ashbys]

Kenny ,
Your Grandfather never lied to you. Most children were in dresses until the age of 6. At which time the boys were put into leggings, or nickers. And yes the name nickers is taken from womens dress. They were made in the style of ladies pantaloons.
Mens pantaloons extended from the waist to the ankle and had a tie which crossed under the instep , while womens pantaloons were from the waist to midcalf usally tied there with a ribbon. The slang term referrring to them as nickers came in the mid to late 1800. Often the same pattern was used to make the boys pantloons as was used to make women under garments.

Lincoln dress here is also extreamly classic. Most men did not wear belts as a means of dress support. The waist line was considered much higher and normally covered the entire midsection about 3 inches higher than the navel. These were held up with suspenders usally cloth with button holes to give size adjustment. Often made from feather ticking. The vest he is wearing was a full vest, which would have reached to about 1 inch below where the waist is considered today and would have been in place with 6 - 9 buttons. The vest was considered an important part of the dress. The reason was simple it allowed him to remove his coat in mixed company.
The showing of suspenders was considered the same as standing in front of someone in your underwear. It simply was bad manners to do so.

Thanks for all the support. The portraits are looking really nice as I open up the background, but to be honest , I think the frame will really make this piece, I have something really special in mind for it.
I wish I had more time this weekend , but the NRA auction is this evening, so it will be a long day.

Garry

[Irish]

Interesting to have gotten off onto antique clothing styles ... In Europe just into the 1800's the style of woman's dresses allowed quite a lot of cleavage and bossom to show. Sometimes just about everything for a formal affair. The very low cut of the bust line was high fashion.

Yet at that same time for her to allow either her ankles or hands to be uncovered in public was sandilous. So she always wore gloves and high top shoes.



Sorry, Garry, I love history but am more into geographically history for genealogy than specific history for people, places and happenings. I knew there was Tad and Todd but couldn't tell you anything else.

Kathy - Get the cheese makers shirt pattern. It's great, lots of moving room for your man but half the material requirements.

Susan

[Ashbys]

You know Susan ,
one of the things I most enjoy about history , is the many different variations that come from it and the bits of knowledge that people remember from thier study of history. It is always so alive and impressive. Kenny remembers the story of his grandfather wearing a dress, tells me when he heard it he was impressed. Impressed enough that it left a very vivid memory.
The same with your knowledge of the dress and attire of the 1800's tells me you studied the subject and enjoyed what you learned. Someday I will have to tell you about a 1860 ball gown for my wife. but another long story ....

But today it is back to carving and enjoying the feel of the wood and the touch of the chisel, as Abe and son steps a little closer to the 21 century.

Garry

[Ashbys]

Just an update photo.

Garry

[decoycarve]

Garry,
Sorry I have not been following this thread and if werent for our conversation I would have missed it completley. Too many hours,too much discomfort, not enough carving time, causing me to miss some good threads here.
I think you have found your nitch in doing portraits. If you want to try one in Mahogany you are welcome to a piece or two over the shop. Since you are into the civil war a battlefield scene may something to think about in the darker wood.
Goody

[santagibbs]

Ashbys.. What a wonderful carving.. I am glad that I read this thread also.. I didn't know the history about his sons.. very enlighting. If I could carve like this, I wouldn't have a thing to complain about.. Thanks for showing us your very talented work.. Charlotte