Pelissier-New Orleans, LA, USA

[missmilliemaam]

This photo is a tintype (magnet sticks to it) about 2 x 3 inches.  It is from a photo album handed down from daughter to daughter on my mother's side of the family and many of the people my grandmother was unable to identify.
A co-worker believes the person is wearing a conductor's uniform.  There is a person in our tree who worked for the railroad.  If someone can please tell me if this is indeed a conductor's uniform and an approximate year the photo might have been taken I may be able to attach a name to him.

I also have the same size/type photo of a family taken outside of a house.  Would someone please let me know if you can tell when this photo was taken and if the man in the uniform looks like the man in the family photo?

Thank you all so much.

[DanNC]

I didn't do anything but lighten these up a bit. That might make it easier to examine details.

[Trishanne]

I have cleaned them both up to make it easier to see them. I have also reversed the photos so the men's jackets fasten the correct way, tin types are always printed in reverse.
Somebody has started to colour the man in uniform photo as the  grass and part of the spade did show some colour.
I'm not sure whether the child at the front of the family photo has a dog on a lead, I can't quite make it out.
I don't think the two men are the same, the father has more prominent ears and a different shaped face to the man in uniform, but I have been known to be wrong!
Pat

[Erato]

The man is posing with a coal shovel so maybe he was a fireman [stoker] rather than a conductor.  Here's a shovel with same type of handle.  There are many other similar photos.

https://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/B-O-railroad-engine-fireman-s-coal-shovel_8064CD4866/

[Erato]

If you could rescan to get more detail on his cap, it might be possible to identify the railroad company and thereby narrow down the date.  It looks like two letters but I can't make it into SP [Southern Pacific] or UP [Union Pacific] or IC [Illinois Central].  There were, of course, scads of minor railroad lines or, then again, maybe it's not a company logo on the cap.

[japeflakes]

,,

[Ian Nelson]

Here's a wee colour version, I think I got the shovel colours right, cheers, Ian

[jim1]

1st. one's quite difficult but I would suggest 1880's/90's.
I don't think he's shovelling anything, not in a shirt & tie.
Conductor sounds more plausible.
The 2nd. is later, late 1890's - early 1900's.

[Erato]

"shirt & tie"

Well, sure.  He didn't want to be photographed in the dirty overalls he wore for his work so he got spruced up but he posed with his company cap and the tool of his trade.  If he was a conductor, there would be no reason for the shovel.