USS New Hampshire c. 1864 - 1865

Curator: This evocative gelatin-silver print, dating from approximately 1864 to 1865, offers a glimpse into life aboard the USS New Hampshire. The image is credited to Blauvelt & Hubbard. What's your immediate impression? Editor: Utilitarian. Definitely utilitarian, with an undertone of something melancholy. It's the starkness, the lack of... well, fluff. And the shadows. They stretch and suggest so much that isn't spoken. Like being at sea for a very long time. Curator: That's interesting, especially given the vessel’s role. The USS New Hampshire, beyond its service, represents a potent symbol of Union naval power during a fractured period in American history. Note the intricate web of rigging—a veritable forest of masts. What could that symbolize? Editor: The web. Tangled lines. It's freedom, adventure… and all the things that can snare you when you reach for them, I suppose. But the men in the foreground—some appear to be resting, some seem to be standing duty. Is that correct? They are very well captured... with an eye towards capturing individuals. They really capture your attention. Curator: Yes, the contrast in their stances offers us an opportunity to understand what that life might have been. The arrangement of these men in their uniforms, the naval hardware around them—these weren’t candid shots, but considered arrangements that serve a specific narrative purpose. Note how this historical portrait aligns with many other photographic portraits of the time. It reveals our own continuity in how we communicate visually. Editor: Hmm... considered. Maybe it's *too* considered. I'm wondering what it was like beyond the composition. All these stories bottled up in this old ship… Makes me want to reach back, and be with them on the waves, sharing tea! Well, not tea necessarily! Curator: (chuckles) I think a stiff drink might be more appropriate in this instance. It invites us to connect our present with the past in profound ways and examine the continuity of values over time. I believe there's a very human story locked in this image. Editor: Locked, yes! Locked, but somehow… floating too. Anyway, lovely ship. Intriguing photograph. Really got me thinking, which I suppose is the point. Curator: Precisely. And hopefully, our listeners as well.