Printer-friendly versionThe Special Artists of the Civil War
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10/15/2014
Thousands of images were produced during the Civil War to satisfy the craving of the American public for news about the war. Between 1861 and 1865, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper sent artist-correspondents, called Special Artists, to travel with the Union armies to make on-the-spot drawings of what they observed. These drawings became the basis of engravings that were published in the Illustrated Newspaper. Having survived the vagaries of battle, transport, and editorial whim, the drawings are compelling eyewitness records and are among the most informative artifacts of the Civil War. Dr. Bookbinder will use a sampling of these drawings to discuss how the Special Artists told the story of the war through their first-hand images.
