Photography and the American Civil War
April 2–September 2, 2013
Accompanied by a catalogue
More than two hundred of the finest and most poignant photographs of the American Civil War have been brought together for this landmark exhibition. Through examples drawn from the Metropolitan's celebrated holdings of this material, complemented by important loans from public and private collections, the exhibition will examine the evolving role of the camera during the nation's bloodiest war. The "War between the States" was the great test of the young Republic's commitment to its founding precepts; it was also a watershed in photographic history. The camera recorded from beginning to end the heartbreaking narrative of the epic four-year war (1861–1865) in which 750,000 lives were lost. This traveling exhibition will explore, through photography, the full pathos of the brutal conflict that, after 150 years, still looms large in the American public's imagination.
Related Works on View
Two related displays will be on view at the Museum: the exhibition The Civil War and American Art (May 28–September 2, 2013); and, in Gallery 690, a selection of American prints reflecting Civil War themes, by Winslow Homer, Thomas Nast, and others (May 20–August 25, 2013). Additional works of art pertaining to the Civil War—all from the permanent collections of the Metropolitan—will also be on view in The American Wing.
Timothy O'Sullivan (American, born Ireland, 1840–1882). A Harvest of Death, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (detail), July 1863. Albumen silver print from glass negative; Approx. 7 1/4 x 9 1/4. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gilman Collection, Museum Purchase, 2005 (2005.100.1201).
