Civil War Photo Books

As you may know, the five year period from 2010 to 2015 marks the Sesquicentennial (150th) of the Civil War.  For photography enthusiasts and history buffs alike the next four years will offer lots of photographic opportunities.  Now might be a good time to sample some of the many books on Civil War photography,  Here is a short list with comments where I am familiar with the work.  This is by no means comprehensive, but these titles look the most promising.

General Works

Introduction to Civil War Photography

A good introduction to the subject, but you’ll want to explore further.

The Blue and Gray in Black and White: A History of Civil War Photography

This is one volume that I currently own and is the premier work on the subject.  The author, Bob Zeller, is a historian who specializes in the subject and is the President of The Center for Civil War Photography.  The Blue and Gray in Black and White covers the subject of Civil War photography in a comprehensive fashion.  There are chapters on daguerreotype technique and individual photographers, including Matthew Brady at Bull Run and Alexander Gardner at Antietam.  There is an entire chapter on Gettysburg.  If you only buy one book, this is it.

The Photographic History of the Civil War in Ten Volumes

Not strictly about photography.  Fascinating nonetheless.

Mathew Brady

Just prior to the Civil War Mathew Brady was America’s most famous photographer.  By then, however, due perhaps in part to failing eyesight, he was more a manager of other photographers than one himself.  That said, the images that his team made during the course of the war remain an enduring testament.

In the Wake of Battle: The Civil War Images of Mathew Brady

Sadly, now out of print.  Keep an eye open for it with the renewed interest in the Civil War.

Matthew B. Brady

Mr. Lincoln's Camera Man: Mathew B. Brady

Over 300 Brady photos reproduced directly from original negatives and commentary

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 Mathew Brady and the Image of History

Mary Panzer is the curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D. C. and in this book examines the work of Mathew Brady.  Brady, she writes, "used art to forge a relationship between photography and history, but when the memory of Brady the artist vanished, we came to accept his images as facts."   Recommended by The Online Photographer.

From amazon.com:

"Panzer's account of Brady's wartime work is especially revealing: where assistants like Timothy O'Sullivan and Alexander Gardner favored realistic studies of the dead in battle, Brady favored sweeping panoramas that obscured individual soldiers."

That said, it is Brady that we remember as the photographer who "[brought] home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war." 

 

Photo by Brady: A Picture of the Civil War

Although designed for younger readers, don’t dismiss this informative and beautifully designed book.

Gettysburg

Early Photography at Gettysburg

This book by Bob Zeller’s mentor, William A. Frassanito, investigates the photography of Gettysburg, both before and after the battle. Early Photography at Gettysburg looks at hundreds of photographs of the battle in detail, including studies by Alexander Gardner and Matthew Brady.  The book includes two noteworthy images of the dead rebel sharpshooter in Devil's Den. The first is the famous image by the stone wall.  The second is of the same solider lying in the field where he actually died.  Gardner had dragged him to the spot where he was immortalized by the more famous photograph.

Brady At Bull Run

The New York Times has an excellent article about famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady here.  Highly recommended and well worth the read.  Stand by for my take on Civil War photobooks.

Joy

 

I have spent an inordinate amount of time wondering about what goes on in my dog’s head. I am certain that she has spent some time thinking about what goes on in mine. Mainly, I have wondered if she knows joy and pleasure. With the publication of The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure I now have some clues.

In The Exultant Ark, author and biologist Jonathan Balcombe interprets more than 130 images of animal pleasure. The images are sometimes funny and often touching. Mr. Balcombe offers several reasons why animals feel pleasure. His strongest argument, however, are the wonderful and occasionally racy images that accompany his text. Read more about this fascinating photobook at The New York Times here.

Our Vanishing History Part 2

If you had a chance to take a look at Nell Dickerson’s Gone since my July 4^th post, hopefully you have a sense of how our historic places are disappearing at an alarming rate.  So what can you do to ensure that those sites will still be available for study and contemplation by future generations?  Although I haven’t researched the subject, I am certain that there are many historic preservation organizations that one can join.  Just pick whatever interests you and look.

The Sesquicentennial of the Civil War caused me to become interested in Civil War battlefields.  I have been to Gettysburg and driven by many other sites in the Southeast.  It wasn’t until earlier this year that I discovered that many of these battlefields were endangered in one way or another.  In some cases strip malls, gas stations and convenience stores were built on portions of the site.  In others cases, the site was turned into a recreational facility, a golf course for instance.  When I heard about this, I was very disturbed.  I guess I always considered these places as hallowed ground, consecrated by the blood of those who had fallen in battle.  With a bit of research I found a way that I could help and discovered an invaluable source of information. 

The Civil War Trust works to preserve, conserve and reclaim Civil War battlefields.  The Trust also promotes educational programs and heritage tourism.  It was founded in 1987, and has over 55,000 members.  According to the Trust, only about 20% the actual land upon which the Civil War was fought is currently preserved.  Another 20% has already been lost forever.  To date, the Trust has saved over 30,000 acres at various sites. 

The Trust uses two preservation techniques:  preservation in which the landowner retains ownership through conservation easements and preservation that transfers ownership in fee simple.

“In order to determine what to buy and what preservation strategy best suits the project we first consult with a landmark study in the world of battlefield preservation, the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report (“CWSAC”).  The CWSAC Report was completed in 1993 by a 15-member Commission established by Congress to identify the most historically significant Civil War sites. Out of the nearly 10,000 battles and skirmishes of the war the report identified 384 principle battlefields worthy of preservation.”

If you are interested in joining with us, find out more here.

Toy Chest

Seriously folks, I am trying to break myself of this habit, but some things just need to be passed along.  The fine folks at dpreview tipped me to a new "toy" lens for Micro Four Thirds.  It's available here for $79.  Considering that I am smitten with the Panasonic G3 and the Olympus EP-3 this is very interesting and fun.

Our Vanishing History Part 1

Courtesy of Nell Dickerson

With the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War underway, a great deal of interest has been generated in the subject.  As might be expected, there are enough books about the Civil War to fill a small library.  That said, nothing gives one an appreciation for what our ancestors went through than visiting the places where  they lived, worked and fought and walking in their footsteps.  Unfortunately, those places and opportunities are disappearing at an alarming rate.

I have written about Nell Dickerson before.  Her photobook, Gone, documents the deterioration and disappearance of antebellum buildings across the South.  Gone is an absolutely beautiful and important book and is my pick for Photobook of the Year.  I was curious about how Ms. Dickerson went about creating Gone and got in touch with her via email.  I suspected, given the quality of the images in Gone, that she worked in large format.

Nell was kind enough to get back to me and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that her work is the product of digital imaging, not film.

"I use digital capture exclusively and I have used a variety of cameras over the seven years  it took  to complete this project (from 5-21 mega pixels as the technology evolved). I try to use the highest resolution, full sensor digital camera I can afford, which for now, remains in the 35mm format."

I guess Gone is a testament to how far digital photography has has come.

Courtesy of Nell Dickerson

I strongly urge you to take a look at Ms. Dickerson’s work on her website here.  Please consider picking up a copy of Gone and adding it to your collection.  The story by Nell’s cousin, Shelby Foote, is a bonus.

Oh yes, and happy Fourth of July!