Photo source search - USS Atlanta and CSS Florida

ellisds

Cadet
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Oct 4, 2019
Hello!

I am looking for help trying to find the original source of this image:
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Hampton Roads Naval Museum (http://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2014/11/sesquicentennial-of-sinking.html) captions it only as a 'contemporary illustration' of the USS Atlanta anchored away from the sinking CSS Florida with crew in whaleboat returning after unsuccessful attempts to keep her afloat.

The only other image source I can find is via https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/157410, which is itself both titled and captioned incorrectly.

I have looked through Harper's Weekly from the period, but can only find the issue concerning the capture of the Florida in Brazil, not of its sinking.

Thanks for any help!
 
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Welcome to CWT from the Smoky Mountain side of North Carolina. Just jump right in and enjoy.
If you look at the top of the page the blue bar look at the top right corner will will the Search tab. Click on that tab type in USS Atlanta hit search and you see a least 10 pages or more on the USS Atlanta.
 
I did some looking through there already (as well as on the Florida) but was unable to find information regarding this specific photo or the ship's link to the Florida.

I am not seeking further information on the ships, but just on the photo itself in an attempt to cite it properly as neither 'contemporary illustration' or 'photograph of a painting' are acceptable.
 
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The image in question is not so much a 'photo', but a photograph of a painting or print. And, no source I've found identifies either the artist or the source, which is a bit surprising. There were a number of illustrated journals being published at the time. It's probably from one of them. Or, perhaps, an engraving in a postwar book.
 
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A couple of possibilities for the more-immediate source of the image:

1. Someone scanned it in from a printed source. Not much we can do there to follow the trail.
2. It's been cropped or reduced from a Library of Congress, Naval Historical Center, or other online archival image, in which case the 'original' digital version should be locatable.

The ultimate source is most likely a period watercolor (or a lithograph based on one). It looks similar to some that Henry Walke did, but I really don't think he's the artist in this case-- it's subjective, but the waves and the sky don't look like a Walke to me. There were a number of period artists specializing in naval scenes, like J.O. Davidson or Xanthus Smith...
 
Asking for help here was a great idea, but unfortunately I see no definitive answer yet.
Did you try a Google image search? That may sound elementary, but I have used it with success for at least two images that were used in my dissertation.

EDIT: I searched it and found only the Florida State archives (Florida Memory) image.
They do note that the item in their collection (NA18) is an 8 x 10 photograph of a painting.
That seems like a big clue to pursue.

Here is the listing from the NHHC (with a few important details), but is also a photograph.
They list the National Archives as the copyright holder, so try the Nat Archives...
 
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So it was a former Confederate ship that tried to save another former Confederate ship.

Did someone get the name of that army transport that "accidentally" sank the Florida?
 
Hello!

I am looking for help trying to find the original source of this image:
View attachment 328053


Hampton Roads Naval Museum (http://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2014/11/sesquicentennial-of-sinking.html) captions it only as a 'contemporary illustration' of the USS Atlanta anchored away from the sinking CSS Florida with crew in whaleboat returning after unsuccessful attempts to keep her afloat.

The only other image source I can find is via https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/157410, which is itself both titled and captioned incorrectly.

I have looked through Harper's Weekly from the period, but can only find the issue concerning the capture of the Florida in Brazil, not of its sinking.

Thanks for any help!
The Mariner’s Museum in Norfolk will definitely Be able to help you. It’s only 1.00 admission and it is the best Naval Museum in the nation. They have the largest naval library in the country.
 
Hello!

I am looking for help trying to find the original source of this image:
View attachment 328053


Hampton Roads Naval Museum (http://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2014/11/sesquicentennial-of-sinking.html) captions it only as a 'contemporary illustration' of the USS Atlanta anchored away from the sinking CSS Florida with crew in whaleboat returning after unsuccessful attempts to keep her afloat.

The only other image source I can find is via https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/157410, which is itself both titled and captioned incorrectly.

I have looked through Harper's Weekly from the period, but can only find the issue concerning the capture of the Florida in Brazil, not of its sinking.

Thanks for any help


I am thinking the illustration was published sometime, perhaps even after the war in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. The illustration is strikingly similar to one Frank Leslie published in his newspaper in December 1864. Joseph Becker, one of Leslie's 14 or so special artists was the illustrator for the 1864 cover image.


1570813843012.png
 
Hello!

I am looking for help trying to find the original source of this image:
View attachment 328053


Hampton Roads Naval Museum (http://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2014/11/sesquicentennial-of-sinking.html) captions it only as a 'contemporary illustration' of the USS Atlanta anchored away from the sinking CSS Florida with crew in whaleboat returning after unsuccessful attempts to keep her afloat.

The only other image source I can find is via https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/157410, which is itself both titled and captioned incorrectly.

I have looked through Harper's Weekly from the period, but can only find the issue concerning the capture of the Florida in Brazil, not of its sinking.

Thanks for any help!
 
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