Behind every Civil War portrait photograph lies a question that the person paying the bill had to consider: Which format do I choose? Two primary options were available. Hard plates,
By Buck Zaidel A black leather carte de visite album with space to hold six images has three words in an unadorned font stamped into the cover flap: Soldiers Photograph
By Ross J. Kelbaugh In the 1860 U.S. Census, Louisiana enumerated 331,726 Black and mulatto enslaved persons and 18,647 free colored individuals. With the occupation of the state by the
Folk art and the humanistic side of the Civil War have long captivated Matt Oswalt. “Photography is a natural extension of these interests,” notes Oswalt, who began collecting soldier images
By Ronald S. Coddington What will become of us? What will become of our country? Existential questions such as these span the arc of humanity. In times of strife and
By Perry M. Frohne In the last issue of MI, I uncovered the diabolical practice of remounting Union albumens. I highly recommend you re-read that column before starting this one.
By Ronald S. Coddington On May 3, 1855, the council of the Photographic Society of London voted unanimously to investigate a burning question that preoccupied its membership. Why do paper
Chaplain John H. Frazee By Joseph G. Bilby When the troopers of the 3rd New Jersey Cavalry formed in early 1864, they were issued one of the Union army’s most
By Tom Glass Patriotic-themed carte de visite montages generate little interest among today’s collectors. Such composites featuring portraits of generals, admirals and wartime political leaders are dismissed as “fillers” used
By Kurt Luther Photography was the dominant form of professional portraiture during the Civil War. Its ubiquity owed in part to its high fidelity and low cost. However, other forms
