Civil War Photos @ Corcoran Gallery of Art

The Civil War (1861-1865) tore a deep gash through our at the time still fledgling nation from which some historians have argued it has never quite fully recovered.

This was one of the first major armed conflicts ever to be documented by photography.

On its 150th anniversary, the CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART is showcasing how the war was chronicled by early American photographers via the collection of one woman now on show there:

 SHADOWS OF HISTORY: PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CIVIL WAR FROM THE COLLECITON OF JULIA J. NORRELL

A welcome addition to the usual shots of stony-faced, mustachioed generals arranged before encampments or grim scenes of bodies strewn across fields are images of African Americans who risked their lives to fight for freedom from slavery:

"A special emphasis of the collection is rare imagery of African American regiments and their underappreciated role in the war. In addition, to strengthen the presentation of the role of African Americans in the Civil War, a major tableau by Whitfield Lovell is included. It features a life-size portrait of an African American soldier."

This exhibit opened on Febrary 4 and runs through MAY 20 at the Corcoran.

Black and white soldiers during the American Civil War. (c) Wikimedia Commons