"Regular Contraband" c. 1863

McPherson & Oliver made this photograph, "Regular Contraband," sometime between 1860 and 1870, using the wet collodion process. In the context of the American Civil War, the term "contraband" took on a particular meaning, referring to enslaved people who escaped to Union lines. Union forces initially struggled with how to handle these refugees, but they were eventually declared "contraband of war," meaning they could be employed to support the Union cause. This image presents a seated Black man, likely a former slave, in tattered clothing, projecting both vulnerability and resilience. The photograph's cultural impact resides in its challenge to pre-war stereotypes of enslaved people. It marks an important shift in visual representation, reflecting the changing social and political landscape during the Civil War era. Accessing archives of newspapers and political cartoons from the period enriches our appreciation of this.