Christmas Boxes in Camp - Christmas 1861 4 - 1862

Editor: This is Winslow Homer’s "Christmas Boxes in Camp - Christmas 1861," an engraving. It depicts soldiers receiving packages, but the mood seems subdued, almost somber. What do you make of it? Curator: It's fascinating to consider the materials involved. The wood for the boxes, the paper for letters, the fabric for clothes – all speak to the vast logistical effort of the Civil War and its impact on civilian production. Who was making these goods, and under what conditions? Editor: That's a really interesting perspective. I hadn't thought about the labor behind it all. Curator: Thinking about materiality forces us to confront the often-overlooked realities of war, beyond just the battlefield. What does it mean to manufacture Christmas during wartime? Editor: So, it’s not just about the image, but the story of the materials and the labor behind it. Thanks, that gives me a whole new way to look at it.