Brady Visits Burns

Gettysburg Greg

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Location
Decatur, Illinois
burns.jpg


After Mathew Brady and his crew had finished exposing several plates on the McPherson farm and Lee's HQ, they moved about a half mile down the Pike to the John Burns house. Burns' heroic actions on Day 1 must have already been well known for Brady to stop at Burns' house and record at least two exposures of Burns from the Chambersburg Pike. For this post, I am focusing on the one in which Burns and his wife are seen on the upstairs porch. Burns sits in his rocker with his wife at his side and his crutches leaning against the house. You may notice two figures sitting on the side stairs that when highly magnified, reveal some interesting detail. Sitting on the top step is Brady's vested assistant who is seen in other photos taken that day. Sitting on the third step and facing the camera (a rare view) is Mathew Brady. Notice that behind Burns' covered well is Brady's portable dark room, no doubt where this very plate was exposed. Once again, its thanks to the high resolution downloadable format that these kinds of detail can be seen clearly

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I love this new approach of analyzing overlooked details in these photos. Enjoyable! I was just looking at the colorized version of Burns last night, so this sort of brings it full circle. I definitely would have overlooked the portable dark room. Sort of feel like Brady and his assistant are an inseparable part of my Gettysburg world, now.
 
I love this new approach of analyzing overlooked details in these photos. Enjoyable! I was just looking at the colorized version of Burns last night, so this sort of brings it full circle. I definitely would have overlooked the portable dark room. Sort of feel like Brady and his assistant are an inseparable part of my Gettysburg world, now.
Always look forward to your comments, Bee. Brady didn't get to GB in time to photograph any bodies, but his photographs contain some of the most interesting detail among the post battle images. Some great panoramas. Glad you are enjoying some of my musings.
 
Always look forward to your comments, Bee. Brady didn't get to GB in time to photograph any bodies, but his photographs contain some of the most interesting detail among the post battle images. Some great panoramas. Glad you are enjoying some of my musings.

Your posts are a very important part of my Forum experience. Without your pictures to look forward to, I fear that I may have burnt out on all of the adversarial encounters experieced elsewhere.

EDIT: in case you have not noticed: you are getting a collection of groupies, @Gettysburg Greg :smile:
 
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I am always struck by the ramshackle tumbledown appearance of the wooden structures from that era. Deeply rutted dirt road, no electricity or indoor plumbing or central heat, of course. Every last board in the house and shingle on the roof was sawed by hand. What on earth is hanging in those upstairs windows. Rugs?
The down stairs with double doors and missing window panes looks like it was used for storage or maybe animals. There is hardly a straight line in the whole place. The drain spout ends in a large barrel. What did they use the water for?
Yet I imagine this was a perfectly respectable middle class home of the day. Boy would I love to walk inside and have a look around! What would I find? Rope bed, chamber pots, bowl , straight razor, and mirror, Bible, fireplace, cookstove, perhaps a print of Washington Crossing the Delaware over the mantle? What would be in the cupboards? Is there a piano? Harper's Weekly open on the table, a copy of Godey's on the shelf?
 
I am always struck by the ramshackle tumbledown appearance of the wooden structures from that era. Deeply rutted dirt road, no electricity or indoor plumbing or central heat, of course. Every last board in the house and shingle on the roof was sawed by hand. What on earth is hanging in those upstairs windows. Rugs?
The down stairs with double doors and missing window panes looks like it was used for storage or maybe animals. There is hardly a straight line in the whole place. The drain spout ends in a large barrel. What did they use the water for?
Yet I imagine this was a perfectly respectable middle class home of the day. Boy would I love to walk inside and have a look around! What would I find? Rope bed, chamber pots, bowl , straight razor, and mirror, Bible, fireplace, cookstove, perhaps a print of Washington Crossing the Delaware over the mantle? What would be in the cupboards? Is there a piano? Harper's Weekly open on the table, a copy of Godey's on the shelf?
Was thinking the same thing. The large basement doors and watch out for that first step if your coming out that side door. My guess is that the side door used to be the entry door and the door they are standing infront of was converted from a window opening. The landing (porch) being built over the double doors really limit their usefulness in getting things or animals in and out of which would further indicate the buildings change from its original purpose or design.
 
Your posts are a very important part of my Forum experience. Without your pictures to look forward to, I fear that I may have burnt out on all of the adversarial encounters experieced elsewhere.
Agreed, I try to avoid any controversies if possible.
Apparently he was able to hobble downstairs for thisclose up with musket.

View attachment 119435
Here is an interesting detail found in this photo that is only visible under very high magnification-two Gettysburg flies on Burns' knee. I have read many accounts of the "2nd invasion" of Gettysburg by swarms of flies following the battle.
two flies.jpg
 
Agreed, I try to avoid any controversies if possible.

Here is an interesting detail found in this photo that is only visible under very high magnification-two Gettysburg flies on Burns' knee. I have read many accounts of the "2nd invasion" of Gettysburg by swarms of flies following the battle.
View attachment 119454
Now that is awesome! I also would have never been able to tell that the pants Burns is wearing are actually pinstripes. Original pic looks like a solid light color.
 
After Mathew Brady and his crew had finished exposing several plates on the McPherson farm and Lee's HQ, they moved about a half mile down the Pike to the John Burns house. Burns' heroic actions on Day 1 must have already been well known for Brady to stop at Burns' house and record at least two exposures of Burns from the Chambersburg Pike. For this post, I am focusing on the one in which Burns and his wife are seen on the upstairs porch. Burns sits in his rocker with his wife at his side and his crutches leaning against the house. You may notice two figures sitting on the side stairs that when highly magnified, reveal some interesting detail. Sitting on the top step is Brady's vested assistant who is seen in other photos taken that day. Sitting on the third step and facing the camera (a rare view) is Mathew Brady. Notice that behind Burns' covered well is Brady's portable dark room, no doubt where this very plate was exposed. Once again, its thanks to the high resolution downloadable format that these kinds of detail can be seen clearly
View attachment 119415

View attachment 119416
Always remember the chapter entitled "Three Men Named John" in Bruce Catton's work on Gettysburg.
 
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