Civil War Photography

     Have you ever wondered what life was like for Americans during the Civil War? I got a chance to get a glimpse into that era when I made a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The new "Photography of the Civil War" exhibit was quite an experience and an a real eye opener. My initial feelings about the exhibit while walking through was a feeling of sadness and terror. The way the exhibit was placed really forces you to look deep into the photos and see the horrors that was going on during that era. The fact that all rooms were completely silent also assisted in the feeling of sorrow.
     All throughout the exhibit, there were people that seemed to truly appreciate the pictures for what they were; a peek into the dark days of American history. Although I'm sure most were tourists and older people, they were all quiet and marveled in the photos hung up on the walls. While I made my way through, it seemed to tell a story and showed how photography was used through the years to benefit and to record what was happening.
     A couple photos really stuck with me throughout the exhibit and really touched me in different ways. In the beginning of the tour, I came across a picture of Seargent Alex Rogers holding the scarred flag of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps in 1863. Seargent Rogers proudly posed for the camera while holding the torn colors. His core fought on every Eastern battlefield and suffered the second highest number of deaths of any Union regiment. This man has been through so much, and yet he stands with conviction and pride for his beliefs. One has to be courageous to be able to see what he has and continue to fight on.
     Towards the end of the tour, they began to show photos of how photography benefited the doctors and surgeons. Doctors would take pictures of limbs and patients that were in conditions that were unsure of how to deal with. Taking the photos allowed them to teach others of how to deal with certain injuries as they came along. Obviously during those times, there were no boundaries of what can and cant be photographed.
     The one photo that touched me the most of all was a photograph called "Ruins of Mrs. Henry's House, Battlefield of Bull Run, March 1862". The photo alone told the story and nearly brought a tear to my eye. Mrs. Henry was an octegenarian widow which because of infirmities was unable to leave her home. Her home along Bull Run Creek was the site of a severe battle that raged on and threatened her safety. Thanks to her childrens help, she was able to escape to a gully and survived the first attacks. Unfortunately, the fighting increased in ferocity and forced her to return home in the midst of battle. She was later found amidst the rubble dead of bullet wounds. That one photo really showed that anyone could get hurt whether they were fighting or not. Anyone was susceptible to harm, no matter where you were.