Our Digital Preservation Effort
The toughest part of my job may surprise you—fielding specific search requests. Want to know how many times the 54th Massachusetts Infantry is mentioned in all of our issues? How
Category: Editor’s Desk
On Vignettes
The human element has been at the core of MI since our first issue. It is most evident in the portraits and stories of soldiers, sailors and others during the
Our Initiative to Educate Future Historians
In our last issue, we debuted a new campaign, “Help us find the next Shelby Foote or Ed Bearss.” You may have noticed it promoted on the inside front cover
On Blue, Gray and Khaki
It perhaps comes as no surprise that MI marks the centennial of America’s entry into World War I with images of doughboys and Civil War veterans. This project has developed
Ushering in a New Era of Soldier Identification
Back in February at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, I glimpsed the future of soldier photo identification. In the conference room of a building on campus, professor Kurt Luther brought our
Backbone and Lifeblood, or Reflections on Our 200th Issue
On a brutally cold winter’s day this past December, I traipsed the battlefield of Ball’s Bluff for the first time. As I trekked down the trail along the edge of
History Revealed, One Photo at a Time
Two individuals that I’ve met in recent months make important contributions to the visual record of early American military portrait photography in this issue. Both are unique to this publication
A Rare Image of Historical Significance
All Civil War photographs can be arranged on a broad spectrum of historical significance. Where they fall is determined by criteria that include provenance, subject and content, as well as
The Enduring Legacy of Gettysburg
The furious fighting in and about a bustling crossroads village in Pennsylvania for three days in July 1863 is Homeric in its scope. Every patch of hallowed ground on the
The Hidden Power of Microhistories
The rare tintypes of Jefferson and Varina Davis showcased in this issue share much in common with the portraits MI has long featured for its readers. Since 1979, we’ve published