Sunday, August 23, 2015

Civil War Sunday - Then and Now

I've had to cut back my United States Civil War Sunday posts due to family obligations, as they take a lot of time to research.  But, today, I wanted to share something with you.

Online, recently, there has been a trend - dare I call it a meme? - to recreate photographs of the past. Some take old photos of their childhood and pose, as adults in the same places, in the same positions.  Others take historical photos, and go back to the site to photograph what is there now.

This photographer from the British paper The Guardian  went to Civil War sites (1861-1865) and photographed them as they appear today.

This is how he did it.

As you view each old photo, it dissolves into the photo of the same site today.

I've been to several of these sites - Ft. Sumter (where the war began), Antietam, Washington, DC, Gettysburg.  Viewing these photos, for me, is an emotional experience although none of my ancestors fought in the war.  My ancestors dd not come to the United States until the early 20th century but the Civil War, I sometimes feel, is embedded in my DNA.

Whether you are interested in the Civil War, or just history in general, this site is a must-view.

Have you ever tried to recreate historical photos?

6 comments:

  1. My husband and I toured many of the battlefields in Virginia , West Virginia, Ohio, and of course, Gettysburg. It was an amazing experience. It bothers me that they are canceling reenactments of battles because of the use of the Confederate Flag. What happened, happened.

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  2. Those pictures are amazing. How things change, and how much is still there...

    When we moved last year, my brother went around taking recreation photos before we had to be out. There was this one shot of him holding his then toddler daughter. She was 13 at the recreation. He surprised her by picking her up. The look on her face was priceless.

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  3. What a cool site. I had an great uncle who serve and died in the civil war...and I google "Henry Witherell civil war photo" and I found a photo of him.
    Coffee is on

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  4. I've been to hundreds of Civil War sites. The stories amaze me... how could that happen here? Many of these places are serene now.

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  5. I've never tried to do it myself but I've seen in done before. Did you see the one done recently where Princess Diana has been put into a picture with her daughter-in-law and new granddaughter?

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  6. Wow! What a fantastic idea. Changing the photo this way would really help you invisige the past.

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