Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
I discovered a 120+ year old framed portrait of my grandfather who came to America in the early 1900s and before that purportedly lived in Austria-Hungary in the 1880s-1890s, Galicia region, Sanok county, in a small village called Kulaszne. Today this location is in southern Poland, only a few miles from the Slovakia border to the south.
Stories from ancestors have rumors of him being some kind of border guard perhaps. Also there were rumors of him being drafted in the Russia czar's army, but this doesn't look like a Russian uniform to me. Any help in identifying the uniform, country, rank, etc. would be much appreciated.
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
It is an Austro-Hungarian Army uniform. I see no rank insignia on the collar so he is likely a "gemeiner" (a private). However, the image is not very clear. Can you see anything on his collar in the original picture? CK
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
By the way, on the soldiers left breast is a lanyard (the braided cord with tassels at the end). That is a type of qualification badge. Can you see any type of medal badge on this lanyard? If so, what is the emblem printed on the badge? That would indicate the type of unit he was in. CK
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
Thanks for the info! The 120+ year old (probably hand-tinted) photo is very fuzzy and faded from age so its very hard to make out details such as on the belt buckle. Does the color (red) of the lanyard, braided cord and tassels, signify anything? I've seen other photos on this board of Austria-Hungary uniforms with other color lanyards such as green.
Did Austria-Hungary draft men into the service in the 1880s-1890s in the Galicia region (mostly Ukranians)? What age did they typically enter the service, late teens? There are some old stories from older relatives that he may have been a border guard, would that type of uniform be correct for that? Is this an infantry uniform?
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
I'm curious about your mention of things on the collar of the uniform. I have a family photo in which one of the men is in what appears to be an Austro-Hungarian army uniform, I'm guessing from roughly the same period as the original post query.
Not sure the origins yet of this family line, though I suspect modern-day Ukraine (so similarly Galicia).
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
What is the surname? Also family from this village and area.
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
Not sure of the spelling it has many variations. On the ship manifest the family last name was spelled "Kicak" but when they later lived in Pennsylvania it was spelled "Kessock" or "Keysock"
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
This is fantastic. Do you know that there is a site regarding Kulaszne on Facebook? If you would like any help with ancestry let us know. Please if you have any other information let us know. Strong interest in this area.....ancestry
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Re: Help Identify Uniform - Possibly Austria-Hungary ~1890 Galicia, Sanok
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