[Lower Wharf from Above, Belle Plain, Virginia] 1864

"[Lower Wharf from Above, Belle Plain, Virginia]" (1864) by Timothy O'Sullivan is a striking photographic record of the American Civil War. The photograph captures a panoramic view of a camp, likely occupied by Union soldiers, overlooking a busy riverfront with numerous ships. The image's composition, with its focus on the tent encampment in the foreground, emphasizes the harsh realities of wartime life, while the distant ships provide a sense of the scale of the conflict. O'Sullivan's work, known for its meticulous attention to detail, is an important example of how photography was used to document the era's events. This image, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a poignant reminder of the war's impact.