[Camp Scene with Soldiers of the 22nd New York State Militia, Harper's Ferry, Virginia] 1862

This is a photograph by Mathew Brady, showing the camp of the 22nd New York State Militia in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Made using the wet collodion process, a glass plate negative would have been prepared, exposed in the camera, and then developed immediately. The tonal range is subtle, and the image itself rather small. The final print is mounted on card, a format known as a "carte de visite," which became incredibly popular during the Civil War. This was an early form of photographic reproduction, with prints made in multiples using contact printing frames. Brady ran a large studio, and the business model depended on sales of such images. They allowed people to keep images of loved ones with them. Consider the inherent qualities of photography, its truth-to-materials indexicality, versus the massive industrial process required to produce them on this scale. The image's cultural significance lies in its depiction of soldiers during a pivotal moment in American history. By understanding the materials, making and context of this photograph, we can appreciate its meaning beyond a simple representation of a camp scene.