Impacts of Photography on the Civil War:
Making the War More Clear:
Most of what people (those who weren't fighting) were learning about the war was from newspapers, or word of mouth. They had heard about what was happening. Hearing word of something can only add a certain depth to our understanding of a current event. Once photos were released, people further understood the hardships of soldiers. Seeing men preparing to fight and photographs of dead corpses made the horrors of war seem much more real to those not fighting. Photographs brought the war right to peoples' homes, to help the further understand what was happening.
“...denied the presence of actual kin, many dying men removed pictures from pockets or knapsacks and spent their last moments communicating with these representations of absent loved ones.” |
Remembering Family/ Identifying Dead Loved OnesFamily member of soldiers knew that it was likely that they would never see this relative again. Whether it be a father, son, or brother, this was always incredibly saddening. In order to give their relatives something to remember them by, soldiers would often send home cart-de-vistas (a small, portrait photo).
Not only would soldiers send relatives their own photo; they would carry photos of their relatives with themselves. Since carte-de-vistas were so small, they could easily be tucked into a pocket while fighting. |
People felt that the "perfect death" would be in bed, surrounded by their family and friends. This wasn't possible when dying at battle. To try to make up for this, soldiers would pull out their photos of their family and friends while dying during or after battles, using these in the place of their actual loved ones being there.
Lastly, people would visit galleries containing pictures of the war. They would often look at the photos to see if their loved ones were in them. Sometimes, they would try to look at the photos of corpses, to try to figure out if their relatives were dead. If they did not see their relatives/friends, it helped provide them with hope.
Lastly, people would visit galleries containing pictures of the war. They would often look at the photos to see if their loved ones were in them. Sometimes, they would try to look at the photos of corpses, to try to figure out if their relatives were dead. If they did not see their relatives/friends, it helped provide them with hope.
Impact of the Civil War on Photography:
Though photography had a large impact on the Civil War, the Civil War also impacted photography. Up until this time, photos were typically just photos of people. They began to replace painted portraits because they were cheaper. Matthew Brady turned the meaning of "photography" around, and showed the world that photos didn't have to be stage portraits. They could also be photos of what it going on around us. This is how Brady came to be known as the "Father of Photojournalism", and has forever changed photography.
Impact of Civil War Photos on Our Knowledge of the Past:
Civil War photographs are still impacting us today. By analyzing these photographs, historians are able to learn about the Civil War. They help show us what life was like for soldiers, and what certain battles looked like. The photos that once helped inform people what was really going on at battle? They're still doing so!