Sherman and His Generals 1865

George N. Barnard made this albumen print, *Sherman and His Generals*, sometime during or after the American Civil War. Consider the chemistry involved. Albumen, derived from egg whites, coats the paper, providing a receptive surface for the photographic image. Silver nitrate solution reacts to light, fixing the image in place. This laborious wet-plate collodion process demanded skill and precision, a far cry from our digital age. Beyond the technique, the photograph captures a specific moment in time – the aftermath of a brutal conflict. The generals, posed formally, represent the Union's military might. Yet, the sepia tones and the slightly blurred details evoke a sense of the past, a reminder of the human cost of war. Barnard's choice of photography as a medium is significant. Photography offered a seemingly objective record of events, aligning with the era’s fascination with scientific observation. But the photograph is also a constructed image, carefully composed to project authority and commemorate victory. By considering both the materials and the context, we gain a deeper understanding of the complex layers of meaning embedded in this photograph.