[Wharves at Bermuda Hundred Landing, James River, Virginia] 1861 - 1865

Andrew Joseph Russell took this albumen print, "Wharves at Bermuda Hundred Landing, James River, Virginia," sometime during the American Civil War. This seemingly simple depiction of boats docked at a wharf tells a deeper story about the entanglement of economics, race, and war. The James River was strategically vital, and Bermuda Hundred became a supply depot for Union forces. The stacks of goods on the wharf, likely cotton or tobacco, speak to the economic engine of the South, built on the backs of enslaved people. Russell, employed by the Union Army, captured not just a scene, but a moment in the struggle over these resources and the future of the nation. Examining period newspapers, military records, and economic data can enrich our understanding of the complex narratives embedded within this image. Art, then, becomes a lens through which we can examine the pivotal transformations of a nation.