Tag: Civil War visual history

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Life on the Civil War Research Trail—Now Streaming on HistoryFix

Military Images is excited to announce that Life on the Civil War Research Trail, the YouTube series created by Ronald S. Coddington, editor and publisher of Military Images magazine, is now on the streaming platform HistoryFix.

About the Series

Life on the Civil War Research Trail publishes a new episode every weekday. Ron—who begins every episode with the familiar greeting, “Hey all, Ron here from Military Images magazine with a new episode of Life on the Civil War Research Trail”—spends his mornings immersed in the 19th century, researching the individuals, stories, and visual culture of the Civil War. He launched the channel in 2022 on YouTube to share unique stories, anecdotes, narratives, and other discoveries that help humanize this tumultuous period in American history. The series is also available on the magazine’s main Facebook page.

Now on HistoryFix

Episodes are now available on HistoryFix, the subscription streaming service funded by Will Eichler that promises to “Get the best history experience from historians and history buffs alike, providing a wide range of content, including narrative features, short films, documentary, biography and how-to videos in both fiction and non-fiction genres.”

Whether you’re already following Ron on the research trail on YouTube or Facebook, or discovering the series for the first time, the HistoryFix partnership expands the ways you can engage with Civil War history and Military Images magazine.

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Faces of Freedom Exhibit Opens at Lincoln Depot Museum

Peekskill, NY — June 7, 2025

Military Images officially launched its traveling exhibit, Faces of Freedom: African American Faces of the Civil War Era, today at the historic Lincoln Depot Museum—just as a steady rain tapped against the roof of the 19th-century depot. Inside, the energy was high and the room full, as a packed house gathered to mark the opening.

Ron Coddington, editor and publisher of Military Images, delivered a wide-ranging presentation that set the stage for the exhibit. He traced the project’s development and explored the evolution of photography during the Civil War era. A “By the Numbers” section offered compelling data points, while detailed diagrams mapped the journeys of Black men from 1861 through the postwar years, culminating in the formation of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Coddington also addressed the evolution of terminology—from “Contraband” to “Freedmen” to “United States Colored Troops (USCT)”—and shared powerful, firsthand quotes from the soldiers themselves. Audience questions were both plentiful and insightful, underscoring the impact and importance of the stories on display.

Military Images extends a heartfelt thanks to Michael and Gail Bennett and all the volunteers at the Lincoln Depot Museum for their generous support and hospitality.

If you missed today’s event, don’t worry—the exhibit runs through July 12, 2025. Don’t miss your chance to experience this compelling visual and historical narrative.