Dutch Gap Canal 1865

Egbert Guy Fowx's 1865 photograph "Dutch Gap Canal" captures a moment during the American Civil War. The image showcases the construction of the canal near Richmond, Virginia, a strategic maneuver by Union forces to bypass Confederate defenses. The photograph, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, provides a glimpse into the war's landscape and the engineering feats undertaken during the conflict. The stark, black and white composition emphasizes the harshness of the environment and the scale of the construction project.