"Need help identifying a uniform..." Topic
8 Posts
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| Prince Alberts Revenge | 27 Feb 2022 6:14 p.m. PST |
A friend of mine sent me the following picture of his wife's great grandfather seeing if I could identify the uniform. The only clues I was given was that family was from the Baltic/Polish and the photo was around 1900. I'm thinking the cap and badge might give something away, I'm thinking maybe a mounted gendarmie or something? Can anyone assist?
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GildasFacit  | 28 Feb 2022 2:36 a.m. PST |
Can't see it too well at this size but is that cap badge the Prince of Wales feathers ? |
Vallerotonda  | 28 Feb 2022 4:07 a.m. PST |
looks like an eagle to me , with a scroll above its head |
| bogdanwaz | 28 Feb 2022 5:33 a.m. PST |
The hat looks a little like the Polish Coal Miners' traditional uniform: link But the uniform coat is different and a sword isn't worn with it. There were a number of paramilitary "shooting clubs" in pre-WWI Poland, I wonder if this might be from one of those. |
| Red Jacket | 28 Feb 2022 10:11 a.m. PST |
But for the "Baltic/Polish" reference, the uniform screams Balkans to me. |
| John Armatys | 28 Feb 2022 1:31 p.m. PST |
The photo appears to have been taking in Pennsylvania, I couldn't make out the town or the photographer's name, but if you can read them that might be a line of research. The uniform does not look "military" to me – the triple stripe on the trousers, the aiguillettes with pompoms, and the tall pillbox cap with plume to one side and odd looking cap cords all seem odd. I wonder if it is the uniform of some sort of society or a band. It may be that local historians in Pennsylvania, or even better if the name can be deciphered, in the place it was taken, will be able to help. |
| Prince Alberts Revenge | 28 Feb 2022 4:50 p.m. PST |
John: good eyes! Both my friend and I missed that. I believe it's Nanticoke, PA. The gentleman came from Europe and settled in Nanticoke. I'm guessing he was a coal miner when he immigrated (and perhaps before) since that area of Pennsylvania was coal country, apparently there were some volatile coal strikes right around the turn of the century. I wonder if he was a member of a coal miners guild or union. Time to do more digging. Thanks for all the input gentlemen, it put me in the right direction! |
| John Armatys | 28 Feb 2022 6:30 p.m. PST |
I'm pleased that the original is legible – the Nanticoke Historical Society link might be able to help. |
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