A. PLAN OF THE INVESTIAGTION
This investigation explores to what extent did realism presented by photography impact the public opinion of the Civil War? The Civil War was the pioneer war in terms of actively using photography as a means of recording. The investigation focuses on photography’s role in capturing the war at face value. Photos of major battles and scenes that exposed citizens to the reality of war will be analyzed, as well as how their opinions changed because of it. The motivations behind why photos were taken will be explored, such as propaganda, as well as reactions to them. Research into events being photographed, their intentions and who requested them will be made, also assessing its effect on the public determining successfulness.
B. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE
Battle field photography was not developed for the sole purpose of recording events as would a newspaper or painting. Battle field photography brought intense images directly from the field to the public, bringing the horrors of war to families so far from their husbands and sons (Niiler). The photography institution brought the reality of war to the public in manners newspapers were incapable of (Harvey 73). Photography had been around prior to the war but commercialization was a new concept thirsty for a new conflict (Niiler). At the start of the Civil War, these photographers took photos of camp life, in field action as well as the aftermath (Harvey 73). There were a few major photographers were making war a reality. One was Mathew Brady, who gave the initial exposure to dead soldiers to the public (Harvey 76). Oliver Holmes commented on a selection of war photos stating, “...all the emotions excited by the actual sight of the stained and sordid ...
... middle of paper ...
...ited
Brady, Mathew B., and Barry Pritzer. Mathew Brady. New York: Crescent, 1992. Print.
Gardner, Alexander. Bloody Lane, Confederate Dead, Antietam. 1862. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Harvey, Eleanor Jones. The Civil War and American Art. Washington, DC: Smithsonian American Art Museum in Association with Yale UP, 2012. Print.
Horan, James David. Mathew Brady: Historian with a Camera. New York: Bonanza , a Division of Crown, 1955. Print.
Meredith, Roy. Mr. Lincoln's Camera Man Mathew B. Brady. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1946. Print.
Niiler, Eric. "How Civil War Photography Changed War." Msnbc.com. Discovery Channel, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Sontag, Susan. On Photography. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977. Print.
Sweet, Timothy. Traces of War: Poetry, Photography, and the Crisis of the Union. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1990. Print.
Instead of telling readers what to think through words, readers can form their own point of view from a photo. A photograph that showed different interpretations was taken during WWII after the destruction of Iwo Jima in Japan of Americans soldiers raising an American flag in the ruins. Some viewers may perceive this act as patriotic, and others may have thought it was an act of terrorism and revenge. Either opinion could be argued and the photograph is the evidence. Since photographs can be unbiased, they can also hold truthful detail. For example, one photograph from the Vietnam war depicted a Vietnamese police officer shooting a Viet Cong in the streets. There are a lot of emotion in that photograph that words cannot describe all; which included the fear and hostility that was upheld during the time. Newspapers need to print more of these kinds of photographs to educate people the ugliness of war and death. Ephron pointed out, “throughout the Vietnam War, editors were reluctant to print atrocity pictures. . . That 's what that war was about.” War and its deaths are a part of history too, and history needs to be kept true and unbiased. As long as the photos are not altered nor used for propaganda, they can be
“Shiloh”. Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields: Civil War Trust. Civil War Trust. 2013. Web. 4 March 2014.
Heidler, David Stephen, and Jeanne T. Heidler, eds. Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: a
There are many different ways in which the war was represented to the public, including drawings, newspaper articles, and detailed stereographs. Stereographs such as John Reekie’s “The Burial Party” invoked mixed feelings from all of those who viewed it. It confronts the deaths caused by the Civil War as well as touches upon the controversial issue over what would happen to the slaves once they had been emancipated. This picture represents the Civil War as a trade-off of lives- fallen soldiers gave their lives so that enslaved black men and women could be given back their own, even if that life wasn’t that different from slavery. In his carefully constructed stereograph “The Burial Party,” John Reekie confronts the uncertainty behind the newly
Shaw, William B., et al. A Photographic History of the Civil War. Six Volumes. New York, New York: The Blue and Grey Press, 1987.
McPherson, James M.; The Atlas of the Civil War. Macmillan: 15 Columbus Circle New York, NY. 1994.
Debelius, Maggie. Illustrated Atlas of the Civil War. Edited by Henry Woodhead. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1998.
Even visual media, which has improved remarkably over the last several decades, cannot express these feelings accurately. Today’s movies, photography and other digital media about wars are considerably more visual and realistic than in the past. They are capable of portraying events very close to reality. However, these photos and movie scenes still cannot make a person experience the exact feelings of another person who actually fought in a war.
Endres, Kathleen L. "The Women's Press in the Civil War: A Portrait of Patriotism, Propaganda, and Prodding." Civil War History 30.1 (1984): 31-53. Project
I glance amusedly at the photo placed before me. The bright and smiling faces of my family stare back me, their expressions depicting complete happiness. My mind drifted back to the events of the day that the photo was taken. It was Memorial Day and so, in the spirit of tradition my large extended family had gathered at the grave of my great grandparents. The day was hot and I had begged my mother to let me join my friends at the pool. However, my mother had refused. Inconsolable, I spent most of the day moping about sulkily. The time came for a group picture and so my grandmother arranged us all just so and then turned to me saying, "You'd better smile Emma or you'll look back at this and never forgive yourself." Eager to please and knowing she would never let it go if I didn't, I plastered on a dazzling smile. One might say a picture is worth a thousand words. However, who is to say they are the accurate or right words? During the 1930s, photographers were hired by the FSA to photograph the events of the Great Depression. These photographers used their images, posed or accurate, to sway public opinion concerning the era. Their work displayed an attempt to fulfill the need to document what was taking place and the desire to influence what needed to be done.
Images can manipulate many scenarios but it’s tactic used to show the realities of our world. Despite what we see, picture taken of the war and events occurring in the war doesn’t mean they aren’t real. We all live in a messy world and history is constantly repeating itself. Pictures are taken to spread awareness and empathy. It is a reason DeGhett argued that the Iraq brunt solider photograph taken by Kenneth Jarecke should have been posted in order for the public to get a sense that the war occurring at the moment is nothing like in the movies. Images are powerful and we must learn to always look closely and
..., 1820-1865. Columbia Studies in American Culture Series (New York: Columbia University Press, 1942): 13-14.
of the Civil War was. Many people like to romanticize the war, but these photographs take all the romance away. It depicts hardship, lost love, and bloodshed. These pictures are truly powerful.
"Battles of the Civil War". Civil War. 2013. Civil War Trust. Web. 9 Dec 2013.
Photojournalism plays a critical role in the way we capture and understand the reality of a particular moment in time. As a way of documenting history, the ability to create meaning through images contributes to a transparent media through exacting the truth of a moment. By capturing the surreal world and presenting it in a narrative that is relatable to its audience, allows the image to create a fair and accurate representation of reality.