The Civil War in Depth, Volume II
- Book Review,
by Bob Zeller
From Publishers Weekly
These two releases build on journalist Zeller's first In Depth, which three years ago collected similar reproductions of Civil War ephemera. Since then, many more small archive holders have come forward, and the raison d'?tre of this second In Depth book of stereograms (glasses included), photos and period documents is to organize and bring them to lightAundoubtedly with the huge Civil War-buff market in mind. Houstonian Jean Stanford's unparalleled private collection of stereoviews makes up the core of the book, providing some wonderfully dramatic battle-aftermath shots, as well as fascinating everyday looks at telegraph operators, spies and Port Hudson, La., "the last rebel stronghold." The book is carefully and compellingly laid out, the captions inform of scene and date, but analysis is not a focus. The Collection is a stand-alone set of period reproductions, including the 1863 color "almanac" (or catalogue) of clothing manufacturer Charles Stokes & Co., a contractual "Slave Policy," a pamphlet calling bearers "TO ARMS! TO ARMS!!" money, maps, daguerreotypes, advertisements and other period objects. (All are catalogued and briefly explained in a short accompanying text by Zeller.) The quality of the reproductions is generally good, if less than crisp, and the selection of materials effectively delineates the kinds of printed matter that circulated in mid-century torrents. As the war and culture surrounding it continue to be exhaustively mined by historians and buffs, such projects are the next logical step in getting the material to people in a form as near to the originals as possible, and the closest thing (short of reenactment) to having been there. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Nineteenth-century Americans reveled in the detailed, lifelike photographs that could be seen through a hand-held stereoscopic viewer. This sampling of stereoscopic views from the Civil War is a companion volume to Zeller's 1997 3-D photographic history of that great conflict. The impetus for the second volume was the discovery of a monumental private collection of Civil War stereo views. Sixty-three of the 170 photographs included here, some published for the first time, are from the private collection of Robin Stanford. Venturing beyond familiar battlefield scenes of broken bodies and ravaged landscapes or portraits of crusty commanders, Zeller, a journalist, features views of cities in wartime, African Americans, camp life, and 24 extraordinary wartime images hand-tinted with watercolors. An index allows access by subject or photographer, and the "Resource Guide" includes web sites for stereo-view shopping or further information on Civil War photography. A portable viewer included with this book enables the modern reader to experience the images as they were meant to be seen. Highly recommended for public libraries. [The stereoscopic viewer is not attached to the book; contact www.3 dglassesonline. com for replacements.DEd.]DKathleen M. Conley, Illinois State Univ., Normal, I.-DKathleen M. Conley, Illinois State Univ., Normal, IL Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The New York Times Book Review, David Murray
...a more than worthwhile addition to the history bookshelf...
The Picture Professional
'Many of these fascinating images of the Civil War were taken in 3-D, a popular format of that period. Here are 130 duotones from that classic conflict, and a stereo viewer included in the book for maximum viewing pleasure. Details that normally would be difficult to discern reveal themselves here in bold definition. Scenes of everything from Fort Sumter through Gettysburg and Sherman's March are included in this compelling view of history through stereo photography.'
Book Description
A remarkable addition to the canon of Civil War literature, Civil War in Depth, Volume II, features 170 vivid images, many never previously published. Especially significant is the portfolio of rare, color images. A companion to the perennial Civil War in Depth, this all-new book includes a redesigned, easy-to-use stereoscopic viewer, which unveils each image in glorious 3-d-as it was originally taken and meant to be seen. Every Civil War aficionado will enthuse over these dramatic photographs, selected from the unparalleled private archives of Robin Stanford. They bring this epic struggle to life in a way no two-dimensional photograph ever could. At the heart of this distinguished volume are 24 vivid, full color works, wartime images that were exquisitely hand-tinted with watercolor before being sold. An entire chapter is devoted to discoveries, from the rarest Gettysburg stereograph to the lost cyclorama painting of the Second Bull Run. Additional chapters include portraits of black soldiers' experiences, of camp life, and the haunting starkness of the battlefield. Never has the war between the states been revealed with such extraordinary clarity and resonance.
About the Author
Bob Zeller is a journalist and the author of The Civil War in Depth, Volume I. He lives in North Carolina.
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