Tag: 19th century photography

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Military Images Represents Civil War Portrait Photography at the Rich Mountain Symposium

I was honored to attend and represent Civil War portrait photography in all its forms—daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cartes de visite, and other albumen prints—at the recent symposium, “Chronicling the Fight: Art & Photography of the Civil War,” presented by The Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation and Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W. Va.

Cliff Krainik discusses the career and contributions of Mathew Brady. (Military Images)

Held near the historic Rich Mountain battlefield, the setting placed us squarely on ground tied to the 1861 Western Virginia Campaign—an early and decisive phase of the war that helped secure the region for the Union and set the stage for the creation of West Virginia. You students of the Civil War know the names associated with this campaign: George B. McClellan, whose success here helped launch his national reputation; William S. Rosecrans, whose flanking movement at Rich Mountain proved decisive; Lew Wallace, then early in his wartime service; and Robert E. Lee, whose struggles in the rugged terrain marked one of the few setbacks in his military career.

My sincere thanks to Rick Wolfe for the invitation and to the entire team at Davis & Elkins for their warm welcome and thoughtful hospitality. The setting, organization, and attention to detail made for an outstanding experience from start to finish.

The symposium itself was exceptionally well structured: four engaging presentations spaced comfortably throughout the day, a welcome lunch break that encouraged conversation, and a terrific panel discussion that brought all the speakers together for a lively and insightful exchange.

My fellow presenters inspired me: Rick Wolfe on “Photos and Stories of West Virginia Soldiers,” Hunter Lesser discussing “Artists at War: The First Campaign,” and the legendary Cliff Krainik sharing his knowledge about “The Incomparable Civil War Photographer, Mathew B. Brady.”

Last but not least, I very much appreciated the audience—curious, engaged, and asking thoughtful questions that elevated the discussion. The combination of venue, pacing, and participation created a comfortable atmosphere. I left energized!

For more about the Rich Mountain Battlefield and its history, visit: https://beverlyheritagecenter.org/rich-mountain-battlefield/

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Bringing a Civil War Photographic Treasure to Hart Island

Military Images magazine is especially proud to help connect historic Civil War photographs and the private collectors who preserve them with researchers and educators around the country. Recently, Charles Handras, Park Supervisor for Hart Island in the Bronx, reached out to us as his office deepens its historical research into the island’s past.

Hart Island.

Their work includes exploring Hart Island’s connection to the U.S. Colored Troops who trained there before serving in the Union Army. Among the images that captured their attention was a historically significant 1864–65 photograph of African American soldiers at L’Ouverture Hospital in Alexandria, Va.,—an image featured in Military Images’ story “Freedmen Warriors, Civil Rights Fighters” by Charles Joyce, a onetime owner of the image.

Group at L’Overture Hospital, Alexandria, Va., about December 1864-April 1865, from left to right: Tobias Trout, 31st USCT, Wounded, Crater; William DeGraff, 22nd USCT, Sick; John H. Johnson, 27th USCT, Sick, diarrhea and rheumatism; Jerry Lisle, 28th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Leander Brown, 30th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Samuel Bond, 19th USCT, Sick; Robert Deyo, 26th USCT, Sick, pleurisy; Adolphus Harp, 19th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Stephen Vance, 30th USCT, Wounded, Crater; George H. Smith, 31st USCT, Wounded, Crater; Adam Bentley, 19th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Chauncey Leonard, Chaplain, USCT, Assigned to hospital. Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection.

The photograph now resides in the National Portrait Gallery, thanks to Ross J. Kelbaugh, who generously donated it and graciously granted permission for Supervisor Handras and his colleagues to publish it in their educational work.