who photographed the civil war

Who was the most famous photographer of the Civil War?

Mathew BradyMathew Brady is often referred to as the father of photojournalism and is most well known for his documentation of the Civil War. His photographs, and those he commissioned, had a tremendous impact on society at the time of the war, and continue to do so today.

Who was the first to photograph the Civil War?

George S. Cook took two remarkable live-action shots of Union gunboats engaged in combat. Cook's two photographs were the first verifiable images of battle captured while the photographer himself was under fire.

Were all Civil War soldiers photographed?

Although nearly every soldier had his photograph taken, tens of thousands of the images have been lost over the past 150+ years. And of the tens of thousands of soldier images that survive, the vast majority are unidentified.

When was the first photo of the Civil War taken?

1863For example, Northern and Southern photographers both captured images of ironclad ships shooting in Charleston Harbor in 1863 (which was the first ever photograph of actual combat), as well as others showing battle smock and even blurred troop movements during Second Fredericksburg.

What was the first photo ever taken in history?

Centuries of advances in chemistry and optics, including the invention of the camera obscura, set the stage for the world's first photograph. In 1826, French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, took that photograph, titled View from the Window at Le Gras, at his family's country home.

Why are there no pictures of the Civil War?

Because wet-plate collodion negatives required from 5 to 20 seconds exposure, there are no action photographs of the war.

Who took the first photo of a battle?

The first photographs of war were made in 1847, when an unknown American photographer produced a series of fifty daguerreotypes depicting scenes from the Mexican-American war in Saltillo, Mexico.

Who is a famous Confederate soldier?

There were many important confederate generals and commanders during the American Civil War. Some, like Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Nathan Bedford Forrest are household names.

Was Lincoln the first president photographed?

Abraham Lincoln assumed the office of president of the United States on March 4, 1861, an innovative period for photography. He was the first president to be photographed extensively and is thought to have sat for as many as thirty-six photographers on sixty-six occasions.

What was civil war photography?

The first was portraiture, which is, by far and away, was the most common form of photography during the war. The second was the photography of battlefields, camps, outdoor group scenes, forts and landscapes – the documentary photography of the Civil War —most commonly marketed at the time as stereoscopic views.

Why did Northern photographers have to buy stamps?

In September 1862, Northern photographic studios were required to purchase an annual license. By August 1864, photographers would have to buy revenue stamps as well. The "Sun Picture" tax on photographs was instituted by the Office of Internal Revenue as a means to help finance the war. The tax was either 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, or 5¢, depending on the price of the photo (1–10¢, 10–25¢, 25–50¢, 50–$1 respectively). However, there was not a special stamp created for photography, so, US revenue stamps originally intended for Bank Checks, Playing Cards, Certificates, Proprietary, Bills of Lading, &c. were used. Largely due to the lobbying efforts of Alexander Gardner, Mathew Brady, Jeremiah Gurney and Charles D. Fredericks, the tax was repealed in 1866.

Where did David Knox live?

David Knox (1821–1895) was born in Renfrew, Scotland. In 1849, with wife Jane older brother John and John's wife Elizabeth, machinist Knox emigrated to America, taking a machinist job in New Haven, Connecticut. Knox became a naturalized citizen on March 22, 1855, just five years after the tragic deaths of 28 year-old Jane and his 7-week-old son David. In 1856, David moved to Springfield, Ill., taking a job as a machinist for the Great Western Railroad. His home was just one block from the residence of Abraham Lincoln. Soon after, Knox relocated his family to Washington D.C. The first reference to Knox working at the Mathew B. Brady studio is a September 21, 1862 telegram sent from the Antietam battlefield by Alexander Gardner, addressed to "David Knox Brady Gallery", Washington. Knox was likely trained there by Gardner in the use of a large format camera. Historians don't know exactly when Knox left Brady's employ to Join Alexander Gardner's new competing firm. Returns for the June–July 1863 Draft Registration show Knox as a 42-year-old photographer, very near Gardner's gallery. Four of Knox's wartime negatives were included in "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War." [49] He is probably best known for his iconic plate, "13 inch mortar Dictator, in front of Petersburg, Va." Like his colleagues John Reekie and the Gardner brothers, Knox was an officer of the Washington D.C. Saint Andrews Society, a Scottish relief organization. [50] On May 7–10, 1868 the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho, signed treaties at Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory which were attested to by "Alex. Gardner" and "David Knox" establishing that Knox was engaged there in picture taking with Gardner. In 1870 David Knox and his wife Marion moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he had apparently finished with photography to pursue regular employment as a machinist. He became head of the Union Pacific Railroad machinist shops. David passed on November 24, 1895 and is buried with Marion at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Where did George Norman Barnard work?

George Norman Barnard (1819–1902) was born in Coventry, Connecticut, and as a child moved to upstate New York. After a brief career in hotel management, he opened a daguerreotype studio in Oswego, New York, becoming nationally known for his portraits. It is not known where Barnard learned his trade. On July 5, 1853, Barnard photographed the conflagration at the Ames flour mills in Oswego, producing what may be the first American "news" photograph. In 1854 he moved his operation to Syracuse, New York, and began using the wet-plate collodion process. In 1859, Barnard joined Edward Anthony's firm. At the outbreak of war, Barnard was working for Mathew Brady in Washington D.C. and New York City. Barnard, besides doing portraits and photographing the troops around Washington D.C., was among Brady's initial corps of photographers, who were sent into the field to photograph the battlefields of Northern Virginia, and the Peninsula, including Bull Run and Yorktown, as well as Harper's Ferry. Barnard is best known for his 1866 masterpiece, Photographic Views of Sherman's Campaign, which contains 61 Imperial size, albumen prints embracing scenes from the occupation of Nashville, the great battles around Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, the campaign of Atlanta, the Great March to the Sea, and the Great Raid through the Carolinas. He continued to photograph after the war, operating studios in Charleston, S.C. and Chicago. His Chicago studio was destroyed by the historic fire of 1871. In 1880 Barnard sold his Charleston studio and moved to Rochester, New York. From 1881 to 1883 he was the distinguished spokesman for George Eastman's line gelatine dry plates. Barnard ventured into his own short lived dry plate manufacturing concern with Robert H. Furman in 1882–83. In 1884, the Barnards moved to Painesville, Ohio and opened a studio with partner, local artist Horace Tibbals, which utilized their own manufactured dry plates. In 1888, George closed his business and his family moved to Gadsden, Alabama. In 1892, he moved for the last time to Cedarville, near Syracuse, New York, where he maintained his interest in photography, taking pictures of friends and family, and taking yearly class pictures of the school children. George Barnard died on February 4, 1902 at the home of his daughter, in Onondaga. He was 82. He is buried in Gilbert Cemetery in Marcellus, New York.

Why is Mathew Brady so famous?

Mathew Brady's unequaled fame derived from his shrewd ability at self-promotion and a strong determination to succeed as the foremost portrait photographer of his day. He would also become known as the most prominent photographer of the American Civil War.

What was the purpose of the diorama that Russell painted?

During the first two years of the Civil War, Russell painted a diorama used to recruit soldiers for the Union Army. On 22 August 1862, he volunteered at Elmira, New York, mustering in the following month as a captain in Company F, 141st New York Volunteer Regiment.

What wars were photographed in 1861?

The American Civil War (1861–1865) was the fifth war in history to be photographed, the first four being the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), the Crimean War (1854–1856), Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Second Italian War of Independence (1859).

What is the new 3D format called?

The American Civil War was the first war in history whose intimate reality would be brought home to the public, not only in newspaper depictions, album cards and cartes-de-visite, but in a popular new 3D format called a " stereograph ," " stereocard " or "stereoview.".

Who were the photographers who took pictures of the Civil War?

Photographers such as Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and Timothy O'Sullivan found enthusiastic audiences for their images as America's interests were piqued by the shockingly realistic medium. For the first time in history, citizens on the home front could view the actual carnage of far away battlefields. Civil War photographs stripped away much of the Victorian-era romance around warfare.

What is the process of wet plate photography?

The Wet-Plate Photographic Process: - First, collodion was used to coat the plate glass in order to sensitize it to light. - In a darkroom, the plate was then immersed in silver nitrate, placed in a light-tight container, and inserted into the camera.

What chemicals were used in the Civil War?

All of the chemicals used in the process had to be mixed by hand, including a mixture called collodion. Collodion is made up of several types of dangerous chemicals including ethyl ether and acetic or sulfuric acid.

What was the Civil War photography?

Photography during the Civil War, especially for those who ventured out to the battlefields with their cameras, was a difficult and time consuming process. Photographers had to carry all of their heavy equipment, including their darkroom, by wagon.

How did the photographer begin the process of taking a photograph?

The photographer began the process of taking a photograph by positioning and focusing the camera. Then, he mixed the collodion in preparation for the wet-plate process. Developing plate glass image demonstration with the Center for Civil War Photography Garry Adelman.

What was the first major conflict to be photographed?

Bringing the Battlefront to the Homefront. While photographs of earlier conflicts do exist, the American Civil War is considered the first major conflict to be extensively photographed. Not only did intrepid photographers venture onto the fields of battle, but those very images were then widely displayed and sold in ever larger quantities ...

When was wet plate photography invented?

Today pictures are taken and stored digitally, but in 1861 , the newest technology was wet-plate photography, a process in which an image is captured on chemically coated pieces of plate glass. This was a complicated process done exclusively by photographic professionals.

How can we understand the American Civil War?

The sociology of the American Civil War can be viewed through a medium that was coming of age in the middle of the 19th century: photography. The National Archives and Records Administration makes available on-line over 6,000 digitized images from the Civil War. Mathew Brady and his associates, most notably Alexander Gardner, George Barnard, and Timothy O'Sullivan, photographed many battlefields, camps, towns, and people touched by the war. Their images depict the multiple aspects of the war except one crucial element: battle. Photographs show camp life, routines, war preparations, the moments just prior to battle, and the aftermath of battle. The primitive technology of photography required that subjects be still at the moment the camera's shutter snapped. Battle scenes are, therefore, missing from the record of history of this era. The study of war journals and artifacts has developed a network of people, particularly located on the East Coast, who perform Civil War re-enactments. Recently, these groups have helped American filmmakers portray the war in realistic terms in movies like Gettysburg and Glory and in other documentaries on key Civil War battles. Thus, the more modern technology of cinematography fills the gap left by photography in recording the battles.

How long did the young country struggle for?

Still, the young country struggled for 75 years to find a graceful balance between the power of the federal government and the several states. The rights of states and the issue of slavery propelled the country into civil war.

What was the Civil War?

Background. Many historians call the Civil War the central event in U.S. history. The formation of the Constitution corrected the autonomy of individual states that the Articles of Confederation did not harness. Still, the young country struggled for 75 years to find a graceful balance between the power of the federal government and ...

What is the National Archives Identifier for the Confederate prisoners?

Confederate prisoners waiting for transportation, Belle Plain, VA. National Archives Identifier: 524824. A company of the 6th Maine Infantry on parade after the battle of Fredericksburg. National Archives Identifier: 524587.

Who was in command of the Confederates at the time of the charge across the stone wall at foot of Marye?

At time of the charge across the stone wall at foot of Marye's Heights, General Joseph Hooker was in command of the Federals and General Fitzhugh Lee in command of the Confederates. Confederate dead behind a stone wall at Fredericksburg, VA. The 6th. Maine Infantry penetrated the Confederate lines at this point.

Who is Douglas Perry?

This article was written by Douglas Perry, a teacher at Gig Harbor High School, in Gig Harbor, WA.

Who wrote the book The Valley of the Shadow?

The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War by historian Edward L. Ayers of the University of Virginia allows students to compare and contrast a Northern town with a Southern one before, during, and after the Civil War.

What rifle did the Lynchburg Rifles use?

He is fully equipped with a model 1841 Mississippi rifle, a Sheffield-style Bowie knife, a canteen, a box-framed knapsack, and a blanket roll covered in oil cloth. The Richmond photographer Charles R. Rees took this hand-colored ambrotype in 1861, the year the militia unit was organized by faculty and students at Lynchburg College and became Company E, 11th Virginia Infantry in the Confederate army. The commanding officer of the company, Captain James E. Blankenship, was a mathematics professor at Lynchburg College. Though Blankenship had graduated at the top of his class at the Virginia Military Institute in 1852, his nerve failed when tested in battle. During the First Battle of Manassas he fled in the middle of the fighting.

How many photographers were there during the Civil War?

During the course of the American Civil War (1861–1865), more than 3,000 individual photographers made war-related images. From Southerners’ first pictures of Fort Sumter in April 1861 to Alexander Gardner‘s images of Richmond ‘s ruined cityscape in April 1865, photographers covered nearly every major theater of military operations.

What was the name of the army that was part of the Crenshaw Battery?

Crenshaw Battery became part of Pegram's Battalion, Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, and took part in forty-eight engagements and a number of skirmishes during the Civil War. Farrell served with the Crenshaw Battery for three years, until he was captured at Sailor's Creek on April 6, 1865. After the war he became a doctor.

What was the significance of photography during the Civil War?

By the time of the Civil War, photography was increasingly professionalized . Journals and national organizations dedicated to the medium helped legitimize a field that had once been notoriously disreputable. Before the war, every major Southern city featured photographic studios, while itinerant photographers traveled throughout the countryside to offer their services. Richmond served as an especially prominent center for photography including the notable Pratt’s Virginia Gallery, founded by William A. Pratt.

What is the process of producing an image on a metal plate?

The daguerreotype process, which produced an image on a metal plate, was released to the public in 1839. It was named after its inventor, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre of France, who had collaborated with Joseph-Nicéphore Niepce. The same year, William Henry Fox Talbot in England announced a photographic process that produced paper negatives and prints. The collodion process (wherein a glass is coated with a sticky substance, sensitized, immediately exposed, and then developed and fixed) surpassed the daguerreotype in popularity by the late 1850s. A single wet-plate collodion negative yielded many positive images. During the Civil War era, the ambrotype—an image on glass—joined the tintype—an image on an iron plate—as popular means of distributing images. Audiences also greatly consumed the carte de visite —a portrait glued to paper stock.

When did collodion become popular?

The collodion process (wherein a glass is coated with a sticky substance, sensitized, immediately exposed, and then developed and fixed) surpassed the daguerreotype in popularity by the late 1850s. A single wet-plate collodion negative yielded many positive images.

Who was the captain of the 1st Virginia Cavalry?

Captain George Riggs Gaither of Company K, 1st Virginia Cavalry. Confederate captain George Riggs Gaither, of Company K, 1st Virginia Cavalry, rests his arm atop a book in this hand-colored ambrotype by the Richmond photographer Charles R. Rees. Gaither's cap and an elegant dish lie on the table beside him.

What was the name of the Native American photographer who photographed the 100th Meridian?

When he applied for the position of photographer for the Treasury Department, O'Sullivan was accomplished in his own right, and both Brady and Gardner wrote letters of recommendation.

What is the legacy of Mathew Brady?

Mathew Brady's legacy is synonymous with the photographic legacy of the Civil War. While he did not take every photograph of the war himself (much of this was left to the many camera operators he employed) he is still widely regarded as the conflict's master chronicler. He was born to poor Irish parents in Warren County, New York, in 1823.

Where is Alexander Gardner buried?

He was, however, buried at Arlington Cemetery, in an effort to honor him among the Civil War heroes he had photographed. Alexander Gardner owned one of the few galleries which rivaled Mathew Brady's in illustrious clientele and prestige. He was Scottish-born and emigrated to. New York in 1856 when he was 35 years old.

Who was the photographer of the Army of the Potomac?

Early in the war, Gardner was the official photographer of the Army of the Potomac, after which he established his own galleries in Washington and New York. Among Gardner's distinguished sitters were President Lincoln and his secretaries, John G. Nicolay and John Hay. Gardner's portraits of Lincoln and his son, Tad, taken in April of 1865, ...

Who was the most prestigious photographer in America?

Brady was eager to establish his business and sought out the notable people of his day to pose for him. Once the war began, Brady was well established as one of the most prestigious photographers in America.

Why are Civil War photos still taken?

The majority of civil war photos are still shots of soldiers, dead and alive. This is due to the primitive nature of photography.

What is tintype photography?

Tintype photography involved creating a direct positive on a sheet of iron blackened by paint lacquer or enameling. Much like the wet-plate photography, after the image was burned onto the tin, the tin was then placed in a collodiun mixture.

Why are photos faster to take?

The photographs were quicker and faster to produce because they did not require drying and could be produced within minutes of taking the photograph. This new technology greatly advanced the art of photography and made it a faster process.

What was the first war to be documented?

The Civil War was one of the first wars to be documented by photography. The invention of photography in the 1820s allowed the horrors and glory of war to be seen by the public for the first time. Dozens of photographers, some private and some employees of the army, snapped photos of the soldiers as well as the locations of Civil War battles.

How long did it take for a camera to remove the cap?

The photographer then removed the cap on the camera for 2 to 3 seconds to expose it to light and imprint the image on the plate. The cap was replaced and the plate glass, still in its light-tight container, was taken to the darkroom where it was placed in a bath of pyrogallic acid.

What is stereo view?

Photographers also learned how to make sophisticated 3D images with these cameras, known as “stereo views.” Stereo view images were created using twin lenses placed at different angles on the same target.

What chemicals were used in the process of taking pictures?

Chemicals used in the process were made up of a mixture known as collodion. This mixture included dangerous chemicals like ethyl ether, acetic and sulfuric acid that had to be mixed by hand. The act of taking a photo was a very detailed process. First the photographer positioned and focused the camera.

What did Alexander Gardner's photos of dead soldiers at Antietam change?

Alexander Gardner ’s 20 photos of dead soldiers at Antietam changed the perception of Civil War – and warfare in general – as civilians’ romantic notions of war were upended by inglorious, grotesque images of young men laying face-down in the dirt. Union troops crossing the Rapidan River at Germanna Ford, taken May 1864.

How big are Civil War negatives?

The negatives produced by the wet-plate process were usually about four inches by ten inches in size but could be even larger. This makes them 20-30 times larger than negatives produced by a 35mm camera, thus having a much higher resolution. Furthermore, unlike 35mm negatives or even modern digital images which have grain or pixels, Civil War photos were fixed on chemical sheets, which had neither. As a result, we can zoom into these negatives and notice tiny details that the photographer himself may have never noticed. These details – that inform material culture, battlefield appearance, and more – add an incredible depth of humanity to the study of the Civil War.

How did photographers take pictures away from their studio?

In order to take photographs away from their studio, photographers had to bring all the essentials from their studio out to the field, usually via wagons. This included the darkroom, a cramped space from which the photographer worked with dangerous chemicals to prepare and develop images.

How many times did photographers photograph dead soldiers?

Fact #7: Photographers photographed dead soldiers where they fell on nine occasions. Some of the most striking Civil War photos are those that depict dead soldiers. However, these photographs only make up a small fraction of Civil War documentary photos.

Why did Southern photographers take Civil War photographs?

However, Southern photographs would become less and less common. Due to the tightening Union blockade, the South ran low on chemicals needed for photography. As a result, the overwhelming majority of Civil War documentary photographs were taken by Northern photographers, who had a seemingly endless supply of the materials they needed for their craft. Yet even they were limited by geography. Because the battles in the Eastern Theater were concentrated in a relatively small area, photographers were able to follow the armies and quickly move from site to site. But in the West, this was much more difficult, as battles there were separated by vast distances, which also limited the availability of photography chemicals. This imbalance leaves us with a dearth of photos of Confederates and westerners in the field.

What is a tintype?

Tintypes were actually made on thin iron plates, which were so thin that they resembled tin. Hence the name tintype. Photojournalism, or documentary photography, first emerged as a field during the Peninsula Campaign in 1862. Photography had an important impact on the homefront and on civilians' perception of the war.

What is the wet plate process?

Fact #4: The wet-plate photographic process allowed for the inifinte reproduction of an image through prints or artistic engravings. The first iteration of practical photography and the predecessor to the wet-plate technique was the Daguerreotype.

What happened at the Battle of Gettysburg?

A harvest of death following the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg, July 1863. (National Archives) George Pickett’s division comes under Federal rifle fire at the Battle of Gettysburg as they near the Union lines on Cemetery Hill.

What was the first battle of the Rebels?

The First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), July 21, 1861. (Library of Congress) Lithograph depicting General Ulysses S. Grant leading a charge on the Rebels at Pittsburgh, Tennessee during the Battle of Shiloh on April 6-7, 1862. (Library of Congress) The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), September 17, 1862.

Where was the McClean House?

The McClean House in Appomattox, Virginia, site Confederate general Robert E. Lee’s surrender following the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse. (Library of Congress)

When was Lincoln's Gettysburg address?

Crowd at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863 during the dedication of Soldier’s National Cemetery and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Lincoln in center.

When was the Confederate flag raised?

The Confederate Flag raised at Fort Sumter following the surrender of Major Anderson, April 16, 1861. (Library of Congress) Tent life of the 31st Pennsylvania Infantry (later, 82d Pennsylvania Infantry) at Queen’s farm, in the vicinity of Fort Slocum, 1861. (Library of Congress)

When was the Battle of the Wildnerness?

Lithograph depicting the Battle of the Wildnerness, May 5-7, 1864. (Library of Congress)

When was the Battle of Mobile Bay?

The Battle of Mobile Bay August 5, 1864. (Library of Congress) Engraving depicting Sherman’s March to the Sea November 15 to December 21, 1864. (Library of Congress) The Federal outer line outside of Nashville, Tennesse during the Battle of Nashville December 15-16, 1864.

What river was the CSS Atlanta on?

The CSS Atlanta on the James River after Union forces had captured the ironclad Confederate ship in June 1863. Mathew Brady/Library of Congress

How old was Alfred Stratton when he was shot?

On June 18, 1864, a cannon shot took both arms of Alfred Stratton. He was just 19 years old. Overall, one in 13 Civil War soldiers became amputees. Mütter Museum

What was the Anaconda Plan?

The Anaconda Plan consisted of two main objectives: Set up a naval blockade of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico ports that were controlled by the Confederacy, and transport roughly 60,000 Union troops in 40 steam transports down the Mississippi river. They would capture and hold forts and towns along the way. Library of Congress

How many people died in the Civil War?

With combined civilian and military casualties estimates ranging as high as a million, the Civil War remains the single deadliest event in American history. In fact, more American servicemen died during the Civil War than in all other U.S. wars combined.

When did Lincoln deliver his Gettysburg Address?

Abraham Lincoln (indicated by red arrow) arrives at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863 , not long before delivering his Gettysburg Address. Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

Where was Abraham Lincoln's funeral?

The funeral procession for U.S. President Abraham Lincoln slowly moves down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 1865, five days after he was shot by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth and ten days after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia effectively ended the war.

When was the photograph of the Contrabands taken?

This photograph, taken circa 1862 , was titled "Contrabands at Headquarters of General Lafayette."

Overview

Northern photographers

Historical context

Southern photographers

Clandestine photography

Itinerant photographers

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