New photography by Shannon Ruff captured with a digital camera-2007.

Civil War Fort, Jamestown Island, Virginia

Artist William E. Williams

CultureAmerican

Date1996

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsOverall, Image: 10 × 8 in. (25.4 × 20.3 cm)
Overall: 9 15/16 × 8 in. (25.2 × 20.3 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 1/16 × 16 in. (51 × 40.6 cm)

Credit LineGift of Estella Williams in memory of Willie Williams

Object number98.22

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a gelatin silver print.

Label TextWilliam E. Williams American (b. 1950) Civil War Fort, Jamestown Island, Virginia, 1996 Gelatin-silver print Gift of Estella Williams in memory of Willie Williams 98.22 William E. Williams photographs Civil War battlefields that saw significant contributions from African Americans. His chronicle of these sacred sites, many in dire jeopardy of being lost, creates an awareness of the lack of political and civil rights for Black Americans and their contributions in winning the war and abolishing slavery. In 1861, using slave labor, the Confederates constructed a fort at this location naming it Pocahontas. The fort was later taken over by the Union. On May 24, 1864, more than 1,000 former slaves were among the defenders of the fort repelling an attack by 2,500 Confederates. Edited By: CW Edited Date: 2007 Approved By: ERL Approval Date: 2007Exhibition History"Silver Images: The Photography Collection at 25," Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photo Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., November 5, 2003 - August 2004. "The World of Photography," Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photo Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, June 20, 2007 - May 25, 2008. "Reckonings and Reconstructions: Southern Photography from the Do Good Fund," Chrysler Museum of Art, August 11, 2023 - November 5, 2023.