The Value of Photo Inscriptions as an Identification Tool
By Kurt Luther The majority of subjects in Civil War photos are anonymous, because, naturally, as most were known to contemporaries, there was little need to record their identities. As
Category: Photo Sleuth
Early Photo Sleuths In the Dead Letter Office
By Kurt Luther Not long ago, I received a gift of a carte de visite of an unidentified Civil War soldier, probably a Union private, wearing a short jacket and
Revealed: The Identity of an Officer in an Iconic Group Portrait
By Kurt Luther As photo sleuths, many of us spend significant time working with relatively obscure images. We may stumble across a loose tintype at a flea market or unearth
The Photo Sleuth’s Digital Toolkit
By Kurt Luther A Civil War photo sleuth is only as good as his or her tools. Knowledge can help us notice clues in an image and reach some basic
The Path From Confirmation Bias to Airtight Identification
By Kurt Luther Many a Civil War photo enthusiast has stumbled across an unidentified tintype or carte de visite whose subject looks “exactly” like a beloved ancestor or famous historical