Tompkins Drum Appears in Union Army Drummer Carte de Visite, J. Austen, Oswego, New York backmark

Compare the drum in the CDV above with the William S. Tompkins drum (1862) below from the collection of Ellis Mirsky. The circular inlay patterns in both drums are identical. (Click on the CDV to enlarge it.) Also, the counterhoops in the drum in the CDV bear Tompkins' characteristic multi-color banding.

This is indeed an outstanding correlation and a wonderful discovery. Is it possible that we are looking at the same drum in photos taken roughly 150 years apart? If not the same drum, the drums certainly came out of the same shop (Wm. S. Tompkins) in Yonkers, New York ca. 1862.



Heritage Auction Galleries 2008 June Signature Civil War Auction #6002

Union Army Drummer Carte de Visite, J. Austen, Oswego, New York backmark. A mature young man - hardly a "boy" - stands by his drum wearing a regulation musician's sword secured by a Model 1851 sword belt plate. Overall browning, some edge chipping, bend on lower right corner. Good condition. Estimate: $400 - $600.

2008 June Signature Civil War Auction #6002
Source: http://historical.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=6002&Lot_No=72563