On Blue, Gray and Khaki
It perhaps comes as no surprise that MI marks the centennial of America’s entry into World War I with images of doughboys and Civil War veterans. This project has developed
Category: Editor’s Desk
Ushering in a New Era of Soldier Identification
Back in February at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, I glimpsed the future of soldier photo identification. In the conference room of a building on campus, professor Kurt Luther brought our
Backbone and Lifeblood, or Reflections on Our 200th Issue
On a brutally cold winter’s day this past December, I traipsed the battlefield of Ball’s Bluff for the first time. As I trekked down the trail along the edge of
History Revealed, One Photo at a Time
Two individuals that I’ve met in recent months make important contributions to the visual record of early American military portrait photography in this issue. Both are unique to this publication
A Rare Image of Historical Significance
All Civil War photographs can be arranged on a broad spectrum of historical significance. Where they fall is determined by criteria that include provenance, subject and content, as well as
The Enduring Legacy of Gettysburg
The furious fighting in and about a bustling crossroads village in Pennsylvania for three days in July 1863 is Homeric in its scope. Every patch of hallowed ground on the
The Hidden Power of Microhistories
The rare tintypes of Jefferson and Varina Davis showcased in this issue share much in common with the portraits MI has long featured for its readers. Since 1979, we’ve published
On the Power of Observation
On a crisp clear day this autumn, I sat down with John O’Brien to discuss an iconic carte de visite of Gen. Robert E. Lee. My laptop and scanner seemed
On Distinguishing Props from Personal Items
One of my favorite moments at a collector’s show is the instant when I open the case of an ambrotype or tintype and peer into the face of the soldier
On the Modern Colorization of Photographs
A visitor to the MI table at the recent Ohio Civil War Show in Mansfield was surprised to learn that the photographs reproduced here are not colorized. He assumed that Military