Gettysburg Gathering: Celebrating the Collecting Community
Posted by :MI Editor On : July 3, 2019
Collectors, dealers and other members of the Civil War collecting community third met for the Gettysburg Gathering on Friday night, June 28, 2019. The group met at historic Grand Army of the Republic Hall in downtown Gettysburg, Pa. The evening began with a buffet barbecue dinner catered by Biggerstaff's and continued with welcome remarks by co-hosts Ron Coddington of Military Images magazine and Doug York of Civil War Faces and Civil War Faces Market Place. The two announced the formation of a new organization, the Civil War Photo Collectors Society. The main attraction of the night—four speakers who presented on a variety of Civil War photo-related topics.
Gary McQuarrie, Doug York, Rick Brown, Ron Coddington, Chuck Joyce and Dr. Kurt Luther.
The program:
Chuck Joyce.
The Sacrifice of Seven: Images and Stories of Union Casualties at Gettysburg
By Chuck Joyce, Senior Editor, Military Images
About a dozen years ago, I began to focus my collection on images and artifacts of men and boys who fell at Gettysburg—drawn, as countless others before me, to the special nature of this hallowed ground. In this talk, I share the stories of seven federal soldiers whose lives were lost or forever altered in the fighting that took place here, paying particular attention to role that pension records and online sources, the network of fellow collectors, and just plain luck has played in helping to allow me to learn and tell the tale of their sacrifice.
Dr. Kurt Luther.
Civil War Photo Sleuthing: Past, Present, and Future
By Dr. Kurt Luther, Civil War Photo Sleuth
People have struggled to identify unknown soldiers and sailors in Civil War photos since even before the war ended. In this talk, I trace the 150-year history of photo sleuthing, showing how the passage of time has magnified some challenges, but also unlocked exciting new possibilities. I show how technologies like social media, face recognition, and digital archives allow us to solve photo mysteries that have eluded families and researchers for a century and a half.
Gary McQuarrie.
George Holmes Bixby, MD: Photographer on the Western Rivers
By Gary McQuarrie, Managing Editor, Civil War Navy—The Magazine
Documentary evidence is reviewed that Dr. Bixby, the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Red Rover hospital ship, photographed many iconic gunboats and vessels of the Mississippi Squadron during his service in the theater and deserves to be recognized for his photographs and as one of a small group of physician photographers during the war.
Rick Brown.
Through a Collector's Eye
By Rick Brown, Senior Editor, Military Images
I review a sampling of photographs from my collection with an eye to artistry, appreciation, and history. I also share stories about the community of collectors, and our role in preserving the wonderful images out there we've discovered and shared.
Traveling Exhibit: Fighting for Freedom
Posted by :MI Editor On : June 25, 2019
Museum-quality prints of 22 Images of African American Civil War soldiers pictured in a gallery published in last summer's issue of MI and elsewhere were displayed in our first-ever traveling exhibit. The first stop for this unique group was the last stop for slaves fleeing to freedom along the Underground Railroad to Canada—the Hubbard House in Ashtabula, Ohio. Located along Lake Erie is northeast Ohio, the town marked the opening of the exhibit with a two-day event last weekend. Music, dramatic readings, a visit from Buffalo Soldiers bikers, and of course the portraits, each with a caption that tells the soldier's story. Many thanks to all the collectors who shared their images for this event. They include Kevin Canberg, Greg French, Chuck Joyce, Paul Loane, Steve Meadow and Paul Russinoff.
Special thanks to Lisa Burroughs, who played a leading role in conceiving and organizing the event, the staff and volunteers of the Hubbard House, and the city of Ashtabula for turning out to see these powerful photographs that are such an important part of our nation's story.
Read coverage from the Ashtabula Star Beacon.
Images from the exhibit will be on display for the next year.
Finding Aid: Winter 2019
Posted by :MI Editor On : December 7, 2018
Vol. XXXVII, No. 1
No print issues in stock
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A sixth-plate tintype from the Buck Zaidel Collection pictures two Union pards fighting for each other and the flag.
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Editor's Desk (p. 2)
The editor marks the magazine's 40th year by placing the publication in context to key events in the modern history of collecting. Also noted is the passing of John R. Sickles, an icon in the collecting community and a former Senior Editor of MI.
Mail Call (pp. 3-4)
Feedback includes an example of uncommon placement of chevrons on the coat sleeve of a hospital steward, a question about a Texas identification and a request for more Confederate images.
Military Anthropologist (p. 4)
An analysis of the 19 loyal states that did not border the Confederacy shows seven exceeded their quotas for Union troops and the rest barely missed making their numbers.
Passing in Review (p. 6)
Gettysburg's Coster Avenue: The Brickyard Fight and the Mural (Gettysburg Publishing LLC) by Mark H. Dunkelman is the story of how one man's vision added an artistic masterpiece to a less-traveled section of the Gettysburg battlefield.
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-9)
In "What to Do When Gold Standards Go Wrong," Kurt revisits a column published in the Autumn 2016 issue after alert reader Doug Sagrillo presented him with an identified carte de visite that challenged another listed with a different name in a reputable public collection.
A quarter-plate ambrotype from the Dan Binder Collection is a portrait believed to be a militia staff officer sitting next to his feathered hat and a document.
Most Hallowed Ground (p. 12)
Pvt. George Washington Tucker survived the deadliest day in Vermont history—May 5, 1864. He and his fellow Vermonters suffered 1,234 casualties during the fighting in The Wilderness.
The Honored Few (p. 14)
Cecil Clay, a captain in the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry, was conspicuous for gallantry during the attack on Fort Harrison on Sept. 29, 1864. The fight cost him an arm, and resulted in his being awarded the Medal of Honor.
The Citizenry (p. 16)
A group of women stand on the back stairs of a clapboard building in Corning, N.Y. Several of them hold hats in various stages of completion, indicating that they are milliners.
Where Light Meets Lens: Representative images from the Buck Zaidel Collection (pp. 18-29)
Buck Zaidel is perhaps best known as the co-author of the book, Heroes for All Time: Connecticut Soldiers Tell Their Stories. He is also a savvy collector with a keen eye for unique images. Here we showcase selected images from his holdings.
Portraits on The Point: Representative photographs by the studio of Robert M. and James B. Linn by Dr. Anthony Hodges with images from his and other collections (pp. 31-42)
The rocky outcropping that overlooks Chattanooga, Tenn., became the scene of one the most dramatic moments of the Civil War after Union soldiers raised the Stars and Stripes in victory over Confederates on Nov. 25, 1863. Soon after, enterprising photographer Robert M. Linn set up a gallery and captured uncounted numbers of soldiers who visited the iconic spot. In this gallery, we showcase representative images from private collections. This is the second in a three-part series.
Jerseymen! A survey of Civil War soldiers and sailors from the John Kuhl collection (pp. 44-55)
The state of New Jersey's contribution to Northern arms is evident in the faces and stories of volunteers who served in the Union armies during the Civil War. Original images are included here, many published here for the first time, along with their personal narratives.
New Jersey's Splendid Colors Recall a Terrible Struggle (pp. 56-57)
An 1885 fire in the New Jersey state capitol building almost destroyed the precious colors carried by regiments during the late Civil War. The 19 men who saved the flags received badges of honor for heroism. One of them, William S. Stryker, accepted the badge with a moving speech.
Guardians of Honor: Men and events that shaped the Medal of Honor by Ron Maness (pp. 60-66)
Though the standard by which the Medal of Honor is substantially the same as it was during the Civil War, the process by which the awards are made is far more rigorous. Two stories here examine how the lack of validation impacted the decoration, and highlight the actions of two forgotten soldiers.
Captain Ramsey and the Birth of the "True Blues" by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 68-70)
David Wardlaw Ramsey numbered among the first Alabama men to join the army in 1861. Those early, heady days of excitement soon gave way to pain, suffering and loss at Island No. 10, Port Hudson and elsewhere.
"Admiral Johnston": An unofficial powder boy's courage under fire by Ron Field (pp. 73-75)
Pint-size 6-year-old James Vincent Johnston could scarcely be kept out of harm's way after he and his mother were trapped aboard the gunboat Forest Rose during a fight near Vicksburg, Miss., in early 1864. His father, the commander of the vessel, resorted to tying the boy to a chair in his cabin to keep him safe. It didn't work. What happened next became the stuff of navy legend.
British Invasion! Confederate portraits in England by John O'Brien (pp. 76-77)
During the latter period of the war, a series of cartes de visite of Confederates, including President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee and political and military leaders, was published in London by photographer Charles B. Walker in partnership with Florida lensman S.C. McIntyre. Long overlooked, we explore the history of this unique grouping.
Stragglers: Distinctive Images from MI contributors (pp. 78-79)
"Southern Warriors" features four images of Confederates.
An eighth-plate tintype from the Michele Behan Collection is a portrait of a heavy artilleryman or an infantryman posed with a cannonball.
Blue, Gray & Khaki: Civil War Veterans and Doughboys
Posted by :MI Editor On : November 10, 2018
Last autumn, Military Images marked the centennial of World War I with a unique collection of images of Civil War veterans posed with Doughboys. In honor of their service, and as an ongoing part of our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve these old photos, we're making this 11-page gallery available to you for free!
The Official Launch of Civil War Photo Sleuth
Posted by :MI Editor On : August 5, 2018
Kurt Luther, pictured here, in the moment he launched our Civil War Photo Sleuth software on August 1 in the Innovation Lab at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Kurt (head of CWPS), Ron Coddington (editor of Military Images magazine), and the rest of the team introduced guests throughout the day to the website to learn how to identify unknown Civil War photos, find photos of Civil War ancestors, and add identified photos to our reference database.
Attendees included Garry Adelman of the Civil War Trust and the Center for Civil War Photography, Melissa Winn of Civil War Times, Karen Chittenden from the Library of Congress and Tom Liljenquist, whose collection is part of the Library of Congress.
Images and live video of the event were carried on Facebook.
The response was overwhelmingly positive. CWPS is a historic moment for anyone interested in Civil War soldier and sailor photography.
Countdown to the Launch of Civil War Photo Sleuth
Posted by :MI Editor On : July 20, 2018
Thrilled to announce the public launch of our Civil War Photo Sleuth software in less than two weeks! This software uses face recognition and crowdsourcing to provide powerful new tools for photo research.
To celebrate, we are hosting a launch party Wednesday, Aug. 1, at the U.S. National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Kurt Luther (head of CWPS), Ron Coddington (editor of Military Images), and the rest of the team will be there. We can help you use the website, identify unknown Civil War photos, find photos of Civil War ancestors, and add identified photos to our reference database.
Both the website and party are completely free and open to all. If you are thinking of coming, please RSVP here (required for security reasons): https://goo.gl/forms/D59pFqZgWn35YF8z2 Hope that many of you can join us!
Make your plans now!
Military Images Magazine at the Gettysburg Civil War Show
Join Military Images at the 45th Civil War Artifact and Collectibles Show in Gettysburg, Va. Stop by our table and bringing your best Civil War images—we'll scan them free of charge and featured selected images in upcoming issues. We'll be side-by-side with Kurt Luther and Civil War Photo Sleuth, a new website that uses technology and community to rediscover lost identities in American Civil War-era photographs. The show is sponsored by the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association.
45th Civil War Artifact and Collectibles Show
Eisenhower Hotel & Conference Center Allstar Expo Complex
2634 Emmitsburg Road
Saturday, June 30, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, July 1, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Admission: Adults: $8. Children 12 and under free if accompanied by an adult.
July 1 Talk: Cardomania! The Rise and Fall of the Carte de Visite
The Civil War Generation was the first to grow up with photography. This transformative medium made it possible for Americans from all walks of life to preserve their own likeness, a privilege once reserved only for the wealthy. During photography's early years, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes ruled the portrait world. Then, on the eve of the Civil War, a curious new format landed in America—the carte de visite. After hostilities began, hundreds of thousands of citizen soldiers and sailors posed for their likenesses. Countless millions of photographs were produced. Significant numbers of these most intimate and personal artifacts survive today. Some are finding a place among the iconic images of the war. Join Ron Coddington, author of four books of collected Civil War portraits and editor and publisher of Military Images magazine, as he tells the story of the rise and fall of the carte de visite—and what became of them.
Also appearing at the event are our friends from Gettysburg Publishing, represented by Kevin Drake and several of his authors:
Mark H. Dunkelman
Cindy Small-Jennie Wade of Gettysburg
Patricia Rich
Scott Mingus, Sr
Bernadette Loeffel-Atkins
Lisa Shower
Sunday, July 1, 5-6 p.m.
Gettysburg Heritage Center
297 Steinwehr Ave.
No admission charge
For more information, visit:
http://www.gettysburgpublishing.com/upcoming-events.html
https://www.facebook.com/Gettysburgpublishing/
https://www.gettysburgmuseum.com/author–artist-events.html
Civil War Generals: The Poster
Oldfield Company presents a new poster featuring six Union and six Confederate generals with quotes that reveal their moving perspectives of the Civil War. This dynamic arrangement of images and quotations chillingly clarifies the realities of the great conflict. The quintessential quotation from each general includes their likeness and their years of birth and death.
Fittingly, the frames surrounding each subject are blue or gray, depending on their affiliation. 
The 24" x 36" dimension fits a standard frame size for economical framing.
Display this handsome print of military leaders of the Civil War on your home, office or classroom wall.
Posters are $25 each, plus $5 shipping and handling. For full purchase information, visit oldfieldcompany.com.
Here's a look at each general and his quote.
Posted by :MI Editor On : March 8, 2018
Vol. XXXVI, No. 2
A sixth-plate daguerreotype from the Mike Medhurst Collection pictures Philip St. George Cooke, U.S. army, circa 1857.
In "On Vignettes," the editor discusses the importance of the human element and emphasizes the rich history of soldier stories that dates to the founding of the magazine.
Feedback includes praise for the last issue, the paper crisis in the Confederacy, photos of Gen. Samuel Cooper and the fate of Stonewall Jackson's funeral boat.
Data tracking the percent of U.S. Colored Troops as part of the Union army from September 1862 until April 1865 are visualized with a bar chart.
Howard Wert's Gettysburg: A Collection of Relics from the Civil War Battle (Schiffer Publishing) by Bruce E. Mowday and G. Craig Caba explores the artifacts held by a family of pioneer collectors.
Antebellum Warriors (p. 8)
A half-plate daguerreotype by John Plumbe Jr. from the National Portrait Gallery Collection pictures Col. James Duncan Graham, an 1817 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy who had a stellar military career as a surveyor of borders.
Sanford D. Bradbury started his military service with the 27th New York Cavalry and fought at the First Battle of Run. He survived his war experience and remained in the army, fighting Native American warriors in the West. He received the Medal of Honor for his courage in an 1860 skirmish against Apache warriors at Hell Canyon, Ariz.
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 12-13)
In "Reverse Engineering an Image Macro," Kurt explains how he solved an internet mystery involving a Civil War photo meme and another mystery from Civil War history.
Horatio Collins King, a well-connected young New York attorney, served most of the Civil War behind the scenes as a quartermaster. During the closing days of the war, near Five Forks, Va., he volunteered to be an aide to Gen. Thomas Devin and helped drive back advancing Confederates. For this he received the Medal of Honor in 1897.
The Borderer: The antebellum origins of the Father of the American Cavalry by Mike Medhurst (pp. 16-20)
Though Philip St. George Cooke's Civil War career was marred by his less than stellar performance during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, his pre-war career was celebrated. His service in the West, his many experiences in uniform and his authorship of a popular cavalry manual made him an early American military icon.
Maelstrom in The Wilderness: The deadliest day in Vermont history by John Gibson (pp. 23-33)
Without question, Union losses during the Battle of the Wilderness in the spring of 1864 were on a massive scale. The volunteers of Vermont suffered heavy casualties as the Army of the Potomac ground its way towards eventual victory over the Army of Northern Virginia. Here, we look at Vermont's story through the portraits and stories of those who became casualties in the brutal fight.
Carbines, Colts & Confederates (pp. 34-43)
Charles Darden started collecting carbines almost a half-century ago, but all that changed in 2009 when he purchased a photograph of a Missouri cavalryman. Since then, Civil War images have become an important part of his identity as a collector. Representative images from his collection are published here.
Philanthropic Photos: Fundraising during and after the Civil War by Richard Leisenring, Jr. (pp. 44-56)
The Civil War was a time of many firsts, and one of them is the explosion in sales of photographs for charitable purposes. From massive fairs in major cities to raise money for the leading philanthropic organization of the day to individual soldiers maimed by amputation and unable to work, we take a look at different uses.
The Norman Brothers Meet Up in New Orleans: Photo sleuthing a Civil War journey by Ron Field (pp. 58-60)
A carte de visite of the Norman brothers, William and John, taken while they were in New Orleans is a window into the lives of two young men who took very different paths to preserve the Union.
Ogle's Ruination: How alcohol ended a West Pointer's promising military career by William Gorenfeld (pp. 62-65)
Alcohol ended many a promising soldier's career. Such was the case for Charles Henry Ogle, a West Pointer who started his military service as a dragoon in antebellum times and ended it in a room in Harrisburg, Pa., in 1863.
Forrest Family Faces: Rare images from the collections of Matt Hagans and Steve and Mike Romano (pp. 66-69)
Images of the wily Confederate cavalry mastermind and some of his family are published here, many for the first time.
Elmer Ellsworth, Haute Couturier? A previously unknown portrait of the Union martyr offers insight into his design method by Ronald S. Coddington with Michael J. McAfee and Ron Field (pp. 70-71)
A previously unknown antebellum portrait of Elmer E. Ellsworth dressed in an elaborate uniform is at the heart of a theory about his design methods. The visionary brainchild behind the U.S. Zouave Cadets had a passion for uniforms and was influenced by European styles.
The Past is Made Present: A reflection on photography by Naomi Subotnick with images from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress (pp. 72-73)
In this essay, Naomi shares her impressions after spending a summer internship working with photos of men who served in the War of 1812, Civil War and World War I.
In "The Battle Against Uniform Uniforms" McAfee explores the disparate uniforms of the 10th New York State Militia, also known as the 177th New York Infantry. The story is illustrated with images from the author's collection that picture the variety of styles.
"Confederate Men of War" features five images of unidentified soldiers.
Sutler's Row (p. 79)
A quarter-plate tintype from the Art O'Leary Collection is a portrait of Stephen W. Thompson of the 5th Michigan Cavalry, who sits with a loaf of bread. He sticks a knife into one end of it.