What do I Want, John Henry? 1862

Editor: This photograph, "What do I Want, John Henry?" by Alexander Gardner, shows a group of Union officers outside their tents. There's a real air of weariness about them, even a bit of boredom. What do you make of it? Curator: Weariness, yes, but also a palpable sense of waiting, wouldn't you agree? Gardner, with his unflinching lens, captures the soul-crushing ennui of war. It's as if they're asking, “What am I doing here, John Henry?"—perhaps that's meant as a mirror for us all? Editor: That's a great point – the ambiguity of the title makes you wonder. Curator: Indeed. It's a masterful stroke, leaving us to fill in the blanks, to contemplate the cost of conflict and the human condition. Makes you shiver, doesn't it? Editor: It does. I'll definitely look at Civil War photography differently now. Curator: That's the power of art, isn't it? To shake us awake.