A Group of "Contrabands"
Photograph
A Group of "Contrabands"
From The War for the Union 1861-1865
ca. 1863
Albumen silver print, printed ca. 1890
Each Image: 7.9 x 8 cm
Mount: 10.1 x 17.8 cm
Museum accession
1981.7093.0016
Inscriptions recto (printed):1861 The War For the Union. 1865
1861 Photographic History. 1865
2594. A Group of "Contrabands."
[FOR DESCRIPTION OF THIS VIEW SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CARD.]
verso (printed): 2594. A Group of "Contrabands."
The negroes who ran away from slavery and came into the Union lines, were employed by the Government as teamsters, laborers, &c. They were happy, good-natured fellows, and made lots of fun for the soldiers. This is a characteristic group of the "contrabands," as they were called, standing in front of their rough-built shanty to have their pictures taken.
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 slow printers.
A WORD AS TO PRICES.
A gentleman living near Watkins Glen, New York, wrote us that he thought 30 cents each, too high a price for the stereoscope 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 Watkins Glen 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 to 1865.
The gentleman "acknowledged the corn," took the war views he wished for, and paid the reasonable Price asked for them, 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 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 our war views, send a stamp and your address to
Yours in F.C. & L.,
The War Photograph & Exhibition Company,
Sole Owners of the Original War Views. No. 21 Linden Place, HARTFORD, CONN.
1861 Photographic History. 1865
2594. A Group of "Contrabands."
[FOR DESCRIPTION OF THIS VIEW SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CARD.]
verso (printed): 2594. A Group of "Contrabands."
The negroes who ran away from slavery and came into the Union lines, were employed by the Government as teamsters, laborers, &c. They were happy, good-natured fellows, and made lots of fun for the soldiers. This is a characteristic group of the "contrabands," as they were called, standing in front of their rough-built shanty to have their pictures taken.
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 slow printers.
A WORD AS TO PRICES.
A gentleman living near Watkins Glen, New York, wrote us that he thought 30 cents each, too high a price for the stereoscope 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 Watkins Glen 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 to 1865.
The gentleman "acknowledged the corn," took the war views he wished for, and paid the reasonable Price asked for them, 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 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 our war views, send a stamp and your address to
Yours in F.C. & L.,
The War Photograph & Exhibition Company,
Sole Owners of the Original War Views. No. 21 Linden Place, HARTFORD, CONN.
