Battery No. 4, Near Yorktown, Virginia 1862

This albumen print, titled "Battery No. 4, Near Yorktown, Virginia," was created by Wood and Gibson, capturing a scene during the American Civil War. The image is a study in materiality. Note the rough texture of the earthworks, contrasting with the smooth, dark metal of the cannons. The cannons themselves, formidable instruments of war, were products of industrial manufacturing. Consider the labor involved in their production, from mining the ore to the skilled craftsmanship of the foundry workers. Then there's the human labor involved in the construction of the battery, likely performed by soldiers or enslaved people. Photography itself was a relatively new technology at the time, but it quickly became a tool for documenting and shaping public opinion about the war. This image, with its stark depiction of military preparations, speaks to the industrialization of warfare and the human cost of conflict. By considering the materials, the processes, and the social context, we gain a deeper understanding of the historical significance of this photograph.