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Description
[transcribed text]
657. A Negro Family Coming into Union Lines.
A characteristic view of the big load of "contraband" coming into our lines.
1861 Photographic history 1865
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 slowly printers.
A Word as to Price
A gentleman living in Watkin's Glen, New York, wrote us that he thought 30 cents each, too high 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 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 people of this country were as much interested in a view of Watkin's Glen as they are in seeing to real scenes of our great war, so faithfully reproduced, the, and only under such circumstance, should Watkin's Glen pictures be compared to photographs taken "at the front" during the days of 1861 to 1865
the gentle man "acknowledged the corn," took the war views he wished for, paid the reasonable price asked for them and was satisfied.
The above is the only answer we shall ever make to the question of the price. We deem it necessary to say this much, as many persons 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 be 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.
Yours in F.C. and L., The War Photograph and Exhibition Company A wide shot of an open desert plain with a wagon full of African Americans most likely family members in the foreground. This image illustrates the hardships African Americans faced during the Civil War. Their best effort to survive was to try to escape to Union Lines. This is an original image made with a wet plate process commonly used during the time with allowed for "negatives" which allowed for duplications which in turn allowed for mass consumption.
Type
image
Format
Black & white photographic stereograph. image/jpeg
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