I'm so glad to find this message board! Wondering if anyone can help me with a photo I have posted (with more explanation) at http://afamilytapestry.blogspot.com/2011/09/man-in-uniform.h...

This photo is from a collection of my TULLY family in Chicago, spanning the late 1800s and early 1900s. I had originally thought the uniform was policeman, as my relative, John TULLY, worked for a branch of the Chicago Police (parks). However, this turns out NOT to be a pic of John TULLY, so don't know who it is, nor what kind of uniform. Someone had suggested military, but I don't know...

I'm hoping that figuring out the type of uniform might help me figure out which relative this photo might be of.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

I’m better on British and Commonwealth uniforms than US ones, so hopefully one of the other regular posters to military boards will see your message.

His shoulder straps have colonel’s eagles [or captain for naval services?] on them, but I can’t make out the other device, if it’s a fouled anchor [anchor with rope around] it’s going to be navy or coast guard related, whatever it is I’m sure it will help pin down the service branch.

He’s also wearing army or naval officers “blues”, but I’m sure some didn’t have parallel rows of buttons (could be period related); whatever is on the button will be a big help in identification.

Re Chicago Police officer – I’m sure in the USA some police forces had higher ranks of colonel.

Once you identify the service there should be a list of officers, especially of that rank.

Wish I could do more.

As JeffH01 suggested, aUnited States Navy captain in a pre-1899 uniform. The double breasted coat with the shoulder straps would place the uniform at sometime between late 1860's and 1899, that year the navy switched to the current rank system of stripes on the shoulder boards. The buttons are a puzzle as they don't look exactly like the US Navy issue for the period, but it could be the photo itself. It definitely is not a period Chicago police uniform, or one of the officers assigned to the Chicago Marine Unit. From the hairstyle and mustache, I'd say it dates from the late 1870's- late 1890's.

Jeff, thank you so much for your help and advice on my question about uniform identification. You might like to know that someone visited my blog the other day (where I had posted that mystery picture) and left a comment identifying my mystery man. According to this reader, the picture was of US Admiral George Dewey.

Once I read that, I checked it by Google images, and found several other copies of the same pose, which was probably taken near the time of 1899.

By teamwork, several heads being better than one, mystery solved!

Thanks so much for your help in placing the date and uniform type for my mystery photograph, which I had posted on my blog a while back.

I thought you might be interested to know that a reader recently found my post, and identified the subject of that photograph: US Admiral George Dewey of Spanish-American war renown. After reading that comment on my blog, I double checked that with Google Images, which brought up several copies of the photo, sourced in one instance to a book published in 1899, so you are spot on with your date.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge of uniforms in my quest to help a relative identify a mystery photo! I'll be posting a follow-up on my blog tomorrow.

Jacqi
http://afamilytapestry.blogspot.com/