Civil War--A Complete Photographic History--

[Melani]

--William C. Davis & Bell L. Wiley, under the direction of the National Historic Society

The book isn't new, but I just got it as a Christmas present, and it's fascinating--around 4,000 photos of everyone and everything you can think of, including special sections on the photographers. There is one photo I am curious about (on page 440, if you happen to have the book). It's the often-seen shot of Buford and his staff, the one misidentified as "Pontifical Zouaves" by the Gene Autry Museum (see "Kepi and Other Treasures" under "Seventh Cavalry Members"), but with an extra guy--Keogh's buddy Joseph O'Keeffe, standing just to Keogh's right. I have the photo with just Buford and the four staff officers in another book, and under close examination (I'm very nearsighted and can get right up there), the background in the "extra guy" photo seems to be drawn in, leading me to believe that the one with only four staff is the original, and O'Keeffe was stuck in later. Can anybody tell me anything about this picture?

[Jim]

Melani,

After picking up that book and getting my morning exercise lifting it, I'm not too sure if they had the expertise to use "special effects" back in their time. It looks like Keogh's right elbow is overlapping O'Keefe's left arm, but the shadow behind them does look like it was "Hand-Shaded" in by that pillar. But, if you look at the background behind the two officers on the right, it too looks like it was shaded in as well.

[Melani]

Hi, Jim--

I have just consulted with my friend the 19th century photo guy (collects daguerreotypes, among other things), and he said that they could insert an image by overlapping the negatives, but it didn't look too hot. If you look at the version of the photo on the website Buford's Boys:

www.bufordsboys.com/

you can see what looks like a plain wall and baseboard in the background, while the background in the photo with O'Keeffe looks drawn in. Also, as you pointed out, Keogh's elbow seems to be overlapping him, but in the other photo, there's quite a lot of space past Keogh's elbow. I'm pretty sure the one without O'Keeffe is the original, but the question is, when and why? Perhaps it was put together for publication in a periodical?

[elisabeth]

The Buford's Boys website does have the explanation tucked away somewhere. O'Keeffe was captured at Brandy Station, and was still a POW when this picture was taken; the BB website says that it was Buford's idea to have his missing aide inserted into the photo. (What a nice man Buford was.)

Maybe the fact that it looks so wrong was deliberate -- to commemorate O'Keeffe's plight?

[Melani]

I had worked out from the dates that the photo was taken when O'Keeffe was a prisoner, but thought maybe it was done for a magazine or something. Buford was indeed a nice guy--very different from the characterization in "The Killer Angels," where he considered staff officers so expendable he didn't bother to learn their names! Why do people write fiction like that? Reality would have been just as good a story.

I suspect the funny background had to do with primitive photo technology.

[elisabeth]

I haven't read "The Killer Angels" yet. Does it really say that?? That's awful. More power to Sam Elliott in the movie for getting him right despite that!

[alfuso]

Elisabeth

regardless, THE KILLER ANGELS is one of the best reads I've ever taken. Some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read. There are phrases and descriptions in it that just leave me breathless.

alfuso

[Melani]

Oh, yes, a wonderful book, totally worth reading over and over! But yes, it did actually say that. I'm not home right now and so can't look up the quote, but it's right after some young staff officer had reported to Buford, and as he watches the guy ride away, he reflects on how fast they get killed and that he doesn't know the guy's name.

[elisabeth]

Ah, maybe it's not so bad, then: more like the Raleigh character in "Journey's End", or the Errol Flynn character in "Dawn Patrol", perhaps? Where it's a sorrowful reflection on the rate of attrition rather than an "I couldn't care less" attitude?

I must read it, definitely.

[Melani]

Found it: "Two young lieutenants sat down near him...He squinted; he did not remember their names. He could remember if he had to, duty of a good officer; ...but though he was kind to young lieutenants, he had learned a long time ago it was not wise to get to know them...One of these had wispy yellow hair...The other was buck-toothed."

"He called for one of his aides, but the buck-toothed boy was dead, and the yellow-haired boy was dead, and the Sergeant was down and would never recover...He thought, have to get some more lieutenants."

I had the initial scene wrong--they were eating dinner. The last bit is after the fighting, of course.

The whole trilogy is great--Gods and Generals, The Killer Angels, & The Last Full Measure. The Killer Angels is the best--done by the master.

[elisabeth]

Thanks for the quote. Hmmm ... Well, I suppose it does catch his brisk, no-nonsense approach to things!