Engineer, First Sergeant
Artist
Oliver Harvey Willard
(American, 1828 - 1875)
Date1866
MediumAlbumen print with watercolor
DimensionsOverall, Image: 8 × 5 15/16 in. (20.3 × 15.1 cm)
Overall, Mat: 16 × 13 in. (40.6 × 33 cm)
Overall, Support: 13 1/8 × 10 1/16 in. (33.3 × 25.6 cm)
Overall, Mat: 16 × 13 in. (40.6 × 33 cm)
Overall, Support: 13 1/8 × 10 1/16 in. (33.3 × 25.6 cm)
ClassificationsPhotography
Credit LineGift of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro, in honor of Brooks Johnson, Chrysler Museum of Art Curator of Photography, 1977-2008
Object number2015.13.1
On View
Not on viewLabel TextOliver Harvey Willard American, 1828–1875 left to right Engineer, First Sergeant, 1866 Albumen print (photograph) with watercolor Artillery, Corporal, 1866 Albumen print (photograph) with watercolor Infantry, Sergeant, 1866 Albumen print (photograph) with watercolor These images are an example of how early photographs mingled scientific and artistic ambitions. Though they appear to be straightforward records of the uniforms used by the Union Army during the Civil War, they also display the artist’s theatrical flair. The same model strikes a different pose in each photograph, performing for the camera the roles marked by the specific uniforms. These prints were also handtinted using watercolor, adding distinctive touches that further illuminate Oliver Harvey Willard’s artistic approach. Gift of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro, in honor of Brooks Johnson, Chrysler Museum of Art Curator of Photography, 1977–2008 2015.13.1 Museum purchase 2015.13.2–.3
