You can be smart, or you can have smart friends. I find the latter is easier, so I referred to Gemini for help: Me: "The Fredericksburg Advance captions this photo as being taken in 1882. I think that's an error. 1862 or 1863 seem more likely to be correct." AI: "You are completely correct. The image captioning this photo as being taken in 1882 is an error. This famous panorama of Fredericksburg, Virginia was captured by Civil War photographer Timothy H. O'Sullivan in February or March of 1863..."
You're of course welcome, Steve. It gave me a chance to email John Hennessy about another of O'Sullivan's photos and how it compares to an iconic engraving of the city skyline done by a little-known K.W. Russell. If it might be worthy of the Advance, I'd take time to write it up for you to at least look at. Please let me know.
As for your lead photo, you're getting closer. Again, with my buddy, AI: "There is actually a slight record discrepancy between historical archival catalogs, but March 1863 is the standard official date.The breakdown of the sources explains why [February and March] frequently appear: Official Library of Congress Records: The primary source holding Timothy O'Sullivan's original glass plate negative logs the photograph creation date as March 1863... When O'Sullivan's employer, Alexander Gardner, published this image as Plate 30 in his landmark 1866 Photographic Sketch Book of the War, it was dated February 1863. Because Gardner placed O'Sullivan in the field at General Hooker's headquarters during February to act as a superintendent of map and field work, many secondary historical archives default to the February date. However, the official master catalog entry at the Library of Congress preserves it as March 1863...
You can be smart, or you can have smart friends. I find the latter is easier, so I referred to Gemini for help: Me: "The Fredericksburg Advance captions this photo as being taken in 1882. I think that's an error. 1862 or 1863 seem more likely to be correct." AI: "You are completely correct. The image captioning this photo as being taken in 1882 is an error. This famous panorama of Fredericksburg, Virginia was captured by Civil War photographer Timothy H. O'Sullivan in February or March of 1863..."
Thanks for catching that, Robert. Fixed now, and adding Timothy O'Sullivan credit as well.
You're of course welcome, Steve. It gave me a chance to email John Hennessy about another of O'Sullivan's photos and how it compares to an iconic engraving of the city skyline done by a little-known K.W. Russell. If it might be worthy of the Advance, I'd take time to write it up for you to at least look at. Please let me know.
love to see it. swatkins000@gmail.com. thanks.
Shall do, and thank you for the opportunity.
As for your lead photo, you're getting closer. Again, with my buddy, AI: "There is actually a slight record discrepancy between historical archival catalogs, but March 1863 is the standard official date.The breakdown of the sources explains why [February and March] frequently appear: Official Library of Congress Records: The primary source holding Timothy O'Sullivan's original glass plate negative logs the photograph creation date as March 1863... When O'Sullivan's employer, Alexander Gardner, published this image as Plate 30 in his landmark 1866 Photographic Sketch Book of the War, it was dated February 1863. Because Gardner placed O'Sullivan in the field at General Hooker's headquarters during February to act as a superintendent of map and field work, many secondary historical archives default to the February date. However, the official master catalog entry at the Library of Congress preserves it as March 1863...