Questions about Civil War photography

rickvox79

First Sergeant
Joined
Jan 27, 2011
Location
Pace, FL
This is probably a dumb question, but I've often wondered during the war why were no pictures taken during battles? I know the technology at the time required subjects in the photographs to stand still and I also realize the danger of being close to exploding shells and flying mini-balls, just surprised that it wasn't at least attempted. Maybe from a hill overlooking a battle with troops marching towards each other. Even if the photo was blurry it still would have been extremely interesting to see. Or were there attempts that just didn't come out well and were discarded?

I also was doing some wiki research (I know not the best of sources) on Civil War photographers and noticed it said that there were southern photographers but many of their pictures were thrown away out of the grief of not wanting to relive the defeat basically. Depressing to think about many photographs that were there that we will never get to see. If I remember correctly it seems like Ken Burns mentioned that briefly in the last episode of his Civil War documentary. That many pictures were lost or thrown away from lack of interest because people were tired of war or had lost interest.

I've always found it sad that Mathew Brady died in poverty because of the money he spent on the photography he took or oversaw during the war. Because the pictures he gave us were priceless to future generations and documented a time and war unlike any before.
 
Rickvox79,

I agree that is is extremely sad that Mathew Brady's other photographic plates were tossed and used for other means and or broken.

There was a program a while back but, having a senior memory moment, which had a glass green house which had civil war images in the glass panes that were too faded to attempt to salvage in these recent years, in addition to Ken Burns' comment. Brady's images of the battle of First Bull Run/Manassas were lost on his escape with the routed U.S. Army with McDowell and when he came back, 'staged' many of the scenes he lost in the first go around at the first battle.

The major problem of photography in this era, which was brand-spanking-new, was shutter speed and exposure. Movement creates a blur and wouldn't produce a photograph. So, his subjects had to stay very still and why some of the photographs have 'ghosts' as movement and or a subject moved.

It could also be, that those who would have wanted the photographs couldn't pay. So, they remained on glass plates and or tossed. Glass plates could be reused so, I don't think they would have been tossed if they were able to be reused.

If memory serves me correctly, Eastman-Kodak Company had great information on this era's photography. I took a tour of the factory years back when I was a pup, in tow by the parents.

I share your feelings as to the pity of the lack of photographs. I hope some are hidden in the National Archives' vault or the U.S. Library of Congress' vault waiting to be exposed and re-appear.

Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf
 
I'm going back at least forty years, so my memory may be a little bit off on the following.

There is a photo in Miller's Photographic History where the photographer was at a rebel coastal fort, and he was photographing the Union Monitor class ironclads out in the ocean as they were shelling the fort. You can see the Monitors in the background, and Miller's caption says something like "you can almost see the gun smoke from the warships."

As best as I can remember the caption, the photographer did not stay long as he was either in personal danger, or the Confederates told him to pack up and leave as he was drawing the fire of the gunboats.

And of course, there is the "touched upped" image in Miller's of the bomb bursting inside Fort Sumter.

John Gross
 
I'll surmise that another reason for Brady's demise is that he got too big. The only use for photos was selling the photo; hence, CDVs were the money-maker as no one had yet figured out how to convert a photo so it could be printed. An artist had to engrave a plate using the photo as a reference. Engravers were expensive so newspapers printed as few as possible.
 
Maybe this should be in another thread but since we have no known photo of the Angle on Cemetary Hill right after the battle can anyone direct me to somewhere that has the earliest known photo of that part of the battlefield? Someone in an earlier thread wondered why no one took a photo at that time of such a significant portion of the battlefield. Maybe someday one will turn up but I kinda doubt it since none have as of today.
 
Rickvox79,

I agree that is is extremely sad that Mathew Brady's other photographic plates were tossed and used for other means and or broken.

There was a program a while back but, having a senior memory moment, which had a glass green house which had civil war images in the glass panes that were too faded to attempt to salvage in these recent years, in addition to Ken Burns' comment. Brady's images of the battle of First Bull Run/Manassas were lost on his escape with the routed U.S. Army with McDowell and when he came back, 'staged' many of the scenes he lost in the first go around at the first battle.

Regarding the glass green house with the plates I'm pretty sure that is from the last episode of Ken Burn's The Civil War where they show that and discuss it. Did Brady ever give any detail as to what the pictures showed from First Bull Run? Man, I hate that those were lost but that was a very chaotic battle and retreat so no surprise there.

I'd be interested in seeing some of Miller's Photographs especially the one you mentioned about the ironclads (not sure if maybe I have seen some before).
 
Rickvox79,

As far as I know, Brady wasn't specific as to what he lost in retreat.

M. E. Wolf
 
I'm going back at least forty years, so my memory may be a little bit off on the following.

There is a photo in Miller's Photographic History where the photographer was at a rebel coastal fort, and he was photographing the Union Monitor class ironclads out in the ocean as they were shelling the fort. You can see the Monitors in the background, and Miller's caption says something like "you can almost see the gun smoke from the warships."

As best as I can remember the caption, the photographer did not stay long as he was either in personal danger, or the Confederates told him to pack up and leave as he was drawing the fire of the gunboats.

And of course, there is the "touched upped" image in Miller's of the bomb bursting inside Fort Sumter.

John Gross

20110212_disunion_cook-slide-FUUK-blog427.jpg

I did a google search and ran across this photo which might be the one you are talking about. The website I took it from had a caption below which stated "George Cook’s photograph of Union ironclads firing on Fort Moultrie, S.C., believed to be the world’s first combat photograph."

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/the-southern-matthew-brady/

This link goes into more detail about the incident involving the picture.
 
Here's a link to a blog that shows a couple of pictures that may show some battle smoke. I'm not convinced that's what it is, but the guys who write this blog really seem to know their stuff so I tend to believe them as this is a really interesting blog. It was the first time I had seen claims of battle smoke in any such picture.

http://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/coaxing-second-fredericksburg-out-of-the-shadows-pt-3/

Great site thank you for sharing it...
 
Here's a link to a blog that shows a couple of pictures that may show some battle smoke. I'm not convinced that's what it is, but the guys who write this blog really seem to know their stuff so I tend to believe them as this is a really interesting blog. It was the first time I had seen claims of battle smoke in any such picture.

http://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/coaxing-second-fredericksburg-out-of-the-shadows-pt-3/

Im not sure, seems to be a lot less smoke then i would think.. Ive seen reenactments create more gun smoke then that, but who knows? Still a great pic..
 
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