An ardent collector and part-time dealer of early photography, Matt Cranford is drawn to the uncommon side of Civil War imagery. Matt searches for artfully composed, technically superior and conditionally sound images that reveal the theater of war—from the serious to the whimsical. Although a scientist by trade, Cranford is drawn to images by their aesthetics. He finds ambrotypes especially satisfying. “A great one possesses a rich tonal range from creamy lights to the deep blacks of the backing,” Cranford notes. “They add a painterly aura to the work.” 15 representative images from Cranford’s collection are the featured gallery in the Summer 2014 issue of Military Images.
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