On a trip to Gettysburg this past July, as I drove along Route 15 following the Catoctin Mountains, haze from wildfires far to the north transported my thoughts to another haze—the drifting gunsmoke that had obscured the battlefield 163 years earlier.
I arrived at my destination, the Seminary Ridge Museum, housed in the Lutheran Theological Seminary, and parked near the historic building that stood at the center of the action on the first day of the engagement. The purpose of my visit was to meet with Director of Museum Operations Kaleb Kusmierczyk. He had temporarily removed several images on display, graciously lent by Faye and Ed Max, to scan as part of the cover story for this issue. The images are also part of a companion exhibit, a collaboration between the museum and Military Images, conceived of and organized by Paul Russinoff. He sits on the museum’s board and is an MI senior editor.
I never tire of visiting the Seminary. Unique in its dual role as a historic site and an interpretive museum, it is a place for reflection, perspective, and inspiration.
Kaleb permitted me to bring two guests, whom I met in the parking lot: Heather Steele and Ethan Spieles. They are passionate image collectors and enthusiastic researchers, early in their journey. We published one of Ethan’s images in our last issue, and Heather is working on a story for a future issue inspired by an image in her collection. I enjoyed the afternoon with them, swapping stories about our trips down the research rabbit hole and sharing the sense of connection we feel to these souls who lived during those tumultuous times. We feel the presence of those invisible bonds that span time. The connection to the past is tangible and real.
Meeting Heather and Ethan was not an isolated incident. Over the last year or so, I’ve met and corresponded with others who are relatively new to collecting. You’ve seen some of their images and writing in MI, including Robert May and John Benson.
They are the future of collecting. They are the caretakers who will hold these images and tell the stories behind them until they pass them along to the next generation. I take solace knowing that they are here, especially in light of the passing of pillars of the collecting community in recent times. It is fitting to remember the generation of collectors whose shoulders we stand on.
The Seminary reminds us that history endures because each generation chooses to preserve it. So it is with these photographs. We inherit them from those who came before, care for them for a brief time, and then entrust them to Heather, Ethan, Robert, John, and others who follow them.
Ronald S. Coddington
Editor & Publisher
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