[Unloading Supplies at Port Royal, Virginia] 1861 - 1865

Andrew Joseph Russell made this albumen silver print, depicting "Unloading Supplies at Port Royal, Virginia," using a process dependent on both material and time. The albumen in the print comes from egg whites, coated on paper and sensitized with silver nitrate. This was a popular process in the mid-19th century, a moment when photography was rapidly becoming an industrial activity. A key aspect of this image is how it documents not only the theater of the Civil War, but also the logistics of it: the constant flow of supplies and people. The steamboats themselves—complex works of engineering, carpentry, and metalwork—speak to the vast economic resources being poured into the conflict. The tonal range of the photograph, from the dark, rich blacks of the boats to the soft grays of the water and sky, reveal the artistry involved in controlling the chemical processes. Though Russell's images may appear to simply document the war, they also provide insight into the massive scale of production involved in the war. The photographic medium, and the steamboats featured, underscores the importance of materiality and social context in understanding this image, inviting us to consider the connections between art, industry, and history.