Please contact the contributing institution for more information regarding the copyright status of this object.
Description
[transcribed text]
Who but a "Yank" would think of starting a "store" or restaurant on the line of battle where shot and shell are constantly falling? This is a bomb-proof restaurant on the line at Petersburg. The sign over the door "Fruit & Oyster House," looks as though it might have been "captured" by the proprietors from some regular eating house.
This series of pictures are original photographs taken during the war of the Rebellion. More than a quarter of a century has passed away since the sun painted these real scenes of that great war, and the "negatives" (made by the old "wet plate" process) have undergone chemical changes which renders it slow and difficult work to get "prints" from them. Of course no more "negatives" can be made, as the scenes represented by this series of war views have passed away forever. The great value of these pictures is apparent. Some "negatives" are entirely past printing from, and all of them are very slow printers.
A Word As To Prices
A gentleman living near Watkin's Glen, New York, wrote us that he thought 30 cents each, too high a price for the stereoscopic war views, as he could buy views of Watkin's Glen for $1.50 per dozen. We wrote him to this effect:
"If there was but one negative of Watkin's Glen in existence, and if Watkin's Glen itself were entirely wiped off the face of the earth, and if this one negative was old and 'dense' and very slow to 'print,' and if all the people of this country were as much interested in a view of Watkin's Glen as they are in seeing the real scenes of our great war, so faithfully reproduced, then, and only under such circumstances, should Watkin's Glen Pictures be compared to photographs taken 'at the front' during the days of 1861 and 1865."
The gentleman "acknowledged the corn," took the war views he wished for, paid the reasonable price asked for the, and was satisfied.
The above is the only answer we shall ever make to the question of price. We deem it necessary to say this much, as many person write and ask us for cheap war views; when we change the price of these war views, it will be to double it; they will never by any cheaper than now. They can be obtained only of the undersigned or our duly authorized agents.
If you wish for a catalogue of the war views, send a stamp and your address to Yours in F. C. and L., The War Photograph & Exhibition Company, No. 21 Linden Place, Hartford, Conn. A wide shot of a man sitting outside the only restaurant along the Richmond-Petersburg defense line. Debris of destroyed buildings surrounds him and the restaurant. According to the transcription on the back of the stereocard, stereoscopic war views from 1861-1865 retailed at 30 cents each. This stereocard is part of The War for the Union, Photographic War History Series: 1861-1865. Early in the war (1861-1862) the E. & H.T. (Edward and Henry T.) Anthony & Company issued several hundred "War Views," mostly camp scenes and solders on guard duties (scattered between 810-1510). The company worked closely with Mathew Brady, who proceeded to document a large series of war photography by employing photographers who worked in small teams. [none noted]
Type
image
Format
Black & white photographic stereograph. Albumen print. image/jpeg
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
