Johnson’s Star Gallery, Indianapolis
By Buck Zaidel At first glance, the painted backdrop in a studio portrait can seem little more than theatrical scenery—stylized tents, patriotic military elements, and simple landscapes. Yet, these primitive
Recent Stories
Wounded Three Times in Battle— and Once by a Guerrilla
By Scott Valentine Poinsett Cooper seemed destined to find his calling in the military. His father, Benjamin, served as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812
Unique Images: Jeff. Davis and the South!, a Studded Belt, and a Rees Portrait
Portraits featuring the “Jeff. Davis and the South!” placard are few in number. Only 29 have been documented over the past 35 years. That total has now increased by two—to
A Memorial by Soldiers for Their Fallen Comrades
On April 24, 1863, during an evening dress parade in the camp of the 58th Indiana Infantry near Murfreesboro, Tenn., Lt. Col. James T. Embree made an offer: “To raise
The Winter 2026 Issue of Military Images Magazine
Confederate images take center stage in this issue. Two years ago, Executive Editor Rick Brown and I spent almost three days making digital versions of the images of Paul Reeder,
Colonel Carlile and the Collectors’ Regiment
Rick Carlile, friend, fellow collector, mentor, and pillar of the image collecting community, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on September 23—the 53rd anniversary of his marriage to Marlene, his
Tracking the Loyalties of Surviving West Point Graduates, 1802-1864
Of the 1,125 graduates of the United States Military Academy who served in the Civil War, 815 remained loyal to the Union and 310 joined the Confederate military—roughly three of
Recommended Books: One Set in Louisiana and the Other in New York City
The Day the War Stopped The Civil War is remembered in many ways across the country, but one of the most unusual commemorations is “The Day the War Stopped,” held
Finding the Identities of a Mystery Civil War Couple
By Kurt Luther Portraits of Civil War couples have long captivated me. They capture a fleeting moment of togetherness, a quiet counterpoint to the distant bugles and battles. We see
Representative Portrait of the Militia Culture Bridging Two Wars
This clean-shaven officer, in gold trim, with a staff-pattern buckle and a fashionable eagle-head sword, is representative of the militia culture in the antebellum United States. Between the Treaty of