Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War (UnCivil Wars Ser.)

Lens of War grew out of an invitation to leading historians of the Civil War to select and reflect upon a single photograph. Each could choose any image and interpret it in personal and scholarly terms. The result is a remarkable set of essays by twenty-seven scholars whose numerous volumes on the Civil War have explored military, cultural, political, African American, women's, and environmental history. The essays describe a wide array of photographs and present an eclectic approach to the assignment, organized by topic: Leaders, Soldiers, Civilians, Victims, and Places. Readers will rediscover familiar photographs and figures examined in unfamiliar ways, as well as discover little-known photographs that afford intriguing perspectives. All the images are reproduced with exquisite care. Readers fascinated by the Civil War will want this unique book on their shelves, and lovers of photography will value the images and the creative, evocative reflections offered in these essays. Contributors: Stephen Berry, William A. Blair, Stephen Cushman, Gary W. Gallagher, J. Matthew Gallman, Judith A. Giesberg, Joseph T. Glatthaar, Thavolia Glymph, Earl J. Hess, Harold Holzer, Caroline E. Janney, James Marten, Kathryn Shively Meier, Megan Kate Nelson, Susan Eva O'Donovan, T. Michael Parrish, Ethan S. Rafuse, Carol Reardon, James I. Robertson Jr., Jane E. Schultz, Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Brooks D. Simpson, Daniel E. Sutherland, Emory M. Thomas, Elizabeth R. Varon, Joan Waugh, Steven E. Woodworth. Cover -- Contents -- Introduction -- PART 1. LEADERS -- The "Gettysburg" Lincoln: The Back Story of a Full-Frontal Photograph -- Robert E. Lee and Traveller in Petersburg -- "It Is Just What It Is and Nothing Else": Grant after Cold Harbor -- Jeb Stuart in Full Finery -- Three Roads to Antietam: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Gardner -- The Weird One: Stonewall Jackson's Chancellorsville Portrait -- The Peculiar Genius of William Tecumseh Sherman -- PART 2. SOLDIERS -- Looking at War: Union Soldiers in the Peninsula Campaign -- Cary Robinson's Last Christmas -- Three Confederates at Gettysburg -- Champ Ferguson -- Who Are They? -- PART 3. CIVILIANS -- A Family in Camp -- What's in a Face: Annie Etheridge Hooks and Civil Work -- Refugee Camp at Helena, Arkansas, 1863 -- Finding a New War in an Old Image -- PART 4. VICTIMS -- My Dead Confederate -- Andrew J. Russell and the Stone Wall at Fredericksburg -- "A Harvest of Death": Negative by Timothy O'Sullivan, Positive by Alexander Gardner -- Colonel William P. Rogers and His Comrades: Postmortem at Corinth, Mississippi, October 1862 -- "Eye of History": Looking at Civil War Prisoners of War -- A Dead Horse -- PART 5. PLACES -- City Point, Virginia: The Nerve Center of the Union War Effort -- The Book or the Gun? -- From Home Front to Ruins: The Fredericksburg Destruction -- George N. Barnard, "Charleston, S.C. View of ruined buildings through porch of the Circular Church (150 Meeting Street)," 1865 -- The Grand Review -- Suggested Readings -- Contributors -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y. Introduction -- J. Matthew Gallman and Gary W. Gallagher Leaders. -- The "Gettysburg" Lincoln : the back story of a full-frontal photograph -- Harold Holzer Robert E. Lee and Traveller in Petersburg -- Ethan S. Rafuse "It is just what it is and nothing else": Grant after Cold Harbor -- Joan Waugh Jeb Stuart in full finery -- Gary W. Gallagher Three roads to Antietam: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Gardner -- J. Matthew Gallman The weird one: Stonewall Jackson's Chancellorsville portrait -- Kathryn Shively Meier The peculiar genius of William Tecumseh Sherman -- Joseph T. Glatthaar Soldiers. -- Looking at war : Union soldiers in the Peninsula Campaign -- Aaron Sheehan-Dean Cary Robinson's last Christmas -- Emory M. Thomas Three confederates at Gettysburg -- Brooks D. Simpson Champ Ferguson -- Daniel E. Sutherland Who are they? -- Carol Reardon Civilians. -- A family in camp -- Caroline E. Janney What's in a face : Annie Etheridge Hooks and civil work -- Jane E. Schultz Refugee camp at Helena, Arkansas, 1863 -- Thavolia Glymph Finding a new war in an old image -- Susan Eva O'Donovan Victims. -- My dead Confederate -- James Marten Andrew J. Russell and the stone wall at Fredericksburg -- Earl J. Hess "A harvest of death" : negative by Timothy O'Sullivan, positive by Alexander Gardner -- Stephen Cushman Colonel William P. Rogers and his comrades : postmortem at Corinth, Mississippi, October 1862 -- T. Michael Parrish "Eye of history" : looking at Civil War prisoners of war -- Judith A. Giesberg A dead horse -- James I. Robertson Jr. Places. -- City Point, Virginia : the nerve center of the Union war effort -- Elizabeth R. Varon The book or the gun? -- Stephen Berry From home front to ruins : the Fredericksburg destruction -- William A. Blair George N. Barnard, "Charleston, S.C. View of ruined buildings through porch of the Circular Church (150 Meeting Street)," 1865 -- Megan Kate Nelson The Grand Review -- Steven E. Woodworth.

Lens of War grew out of an invitation to leading historians of the Civil War to select and reflect upon a single photograph. Each could choose any image and interpret it in personal and scholarly terms. The result is a remarkable set of essays by twenty-seven scholars whose numerous volumes on the Civil War have explored military, cultural, political, African American, women's, and environmental history.

The essays describe a wide array of photographs and present an eclectic approach to the assignment, organized by topic: Leaders, Soldiers, Civilians, Victims, and Places. Readers will rediscover familiar photographs and figures examined in unfamiliar ways, as well as discover little-known photographs that afford intriguing perspectives. All the images are reproduced with exquisite care. Readers fascinated by the Civil War will want this unique book on their shelves, and lovers of photography will value the images and the creative, evocative reflections offered in these essays.

This title grew out of an invitation to leading historians of the US Civil War to select and reflect upon a single photograph. The result is a remarkable set of essays by twenty-seven scholars whose numerous volumes on the Civil War have explored military, cultural, political, African American, women's, and environmental history.