Photography had a great importance in the coverage of the Civil War of the United States. It is through the photos people who did not participate in the war could receive information about events at the military front. Pictures could cause certain feelings that needed for the support of the war and in this way society can be influenced. In addition, such images have a historical and cultural value. From the point of view of history, pictures of the Civil War helped to visualize how this war really looked like for the descendants. From a cultural point of view, the photos had an impact on people's emotional state, forced to admire and be horrified by the filmed events.
In general, the United States Civil War was the first war imprinted on the photos. Many photos illustrating the daily life of the soldiers was made during the war (Civilwar.org). They were the live broadcasts from the field at that time. Only if the earlier battle painter had a lot of time to create a picture, the photography greatly simplifies the process. Military photographers such as Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, George Barnard and other notable photographers opened a new era of cultural development, photographing scenes from military life. President Lincoln himself supported them in their work. The photo was considered the absolute truth that cannot be questioned. Thus, the photography during the Civil War was the perfect art form for the American nation, which has always distinguished the love of truth (Covkin). Mathew Brady’s exhibition, which was held in October 1862 opened the eyes of many Americans on military events. One of the main effects that these pictures had on society was the dispel of the romantic image of war. Instead, the photo shows the harsh reality and what was really like that war (Civilwar.org).
Also, during the war photography was used to increase the popularity of political figures such as President Lincoln. Lincoln himself jokingly claimed that he was re-elected because of the great picture by Mathew Brady (DNews). And the president had reason to say so, as Brady with his skills was able to hide the awkwardness of the president’s figure, exposing his dignity. The photograph created the right image for the president who was trusted by the society throughout the Civil War (Covkin). The photography was a very important tool of propaganda. It perfectly illustrates the example of the photograph titled “The Scourged Back”. The photo was a picture of the back full of scars of the former slave who escaped from the plantations of Mississippi. Once the picture was shown to the public, it caused great indignation. Now, no one doubted the necessity of war. In this way, the art of photography convinced the society of the need for military action (Widmer). In addition, the photography helped people to provide a communication between the soldiers and their families. Photos of friends and relatives from the war gave people hope to see each other again. This raised the morale of the soldiers when they received the pictures from home.
In conclusion, it can be said that the impact of the art of photography on society and culture has been significant. The photo not only opened a new way of documenting hostilities and showed how it can cause and transmit people’s feelings. It also helped to convey the need for ordinary people to wage war. No painting could not describe the horror of slavery, which the photos illustrated perfectly thanks to its vividness. Thus, the use of photography had a positive effect on the society and culture, helping to accept reality for what it is and to improve it for the better.
Works cited
Civilwar.org,. "The Impact Of Civil War Photos On The Public". N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
Covkin, Serena. "Photography And History - US History Scene". US History Scene. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
DNews,. "How Civil War Photography Changed War : Dnews". N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
Widmer, Ted. "Cameristas". Opinionator. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
