McClellan Gallery


George B. McClellan Photograph Gallery

Oscar Wilde.
"As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular."

Photography and the American Civil War:

Unlike any previous American conflict, the Civil War was widely photographed. Civil War photographers captured for future generations the people, places, and events of a war which few Americans could have imagined. For the first time in history, those at home could see for themselves the horrors of war. Despite this, the soldier's picture was probably the most common product of the photographers art and the Carte de Visite was the most widespread type of photograph.

The Carte de Visite:

The Carte de Visite, French for visiting card, was one of the most popular formats of photography developed on the eve of the Civil War. Unlike earlier photographic forms, the Carte de Visite or CDV could be reproduced in large quantity from an original glass-plate negative. The CDV typically measures 2½ inches wide by 4 inches tall and consists of a photograph mounted on a cardboard stock. The photographer or publisher can often be discerned by a backmark on the reverse, though cheaply made copies often have no backmark. Having photographs taken became a national fad and the photograph album was a treasured family heirloom. Because photographers also sold pictures of famous people of the day, it is not unusual to find their images alongside of friends and family.

For more information I recommend: William C. Darrah, Cartes de Visite in Nineteenth Century Photography (Gettysburg, PA: W. C. Darrah, 1981)


Click the logo for a marvelous guide to Carte de Visite history (and photographic history in general)!

George B. McClellan in Photographs:

Abraham Lincoln was the most recognizable icon of the war and scholars have written extensively on Lincoln in photographs. Nearly all famous military and political figures of the era are represented in portrait photographs. The highly controversial general George B. McClellan was no stranger to the portrait studio and images of him and his wife, Mary Ellen, are numerous. In the early years of the war, an admiring public placed high hopes on this charismatic figure. Historians continue to debate McClellan's life and why his military career amounted to so little. To my knowledge, there is no scholarly work on McClellan in photographs. The images below form an incomplete catalog of known McClellan photographs. If you have additional images or information you would like to share please contact me using the feedback form. I am always interested in acquiring nice views in all formats.

Vignettes





Seated Portraits







Standing Portraits





Portraits of McClellan with his Wife, Mary Ellen





Group Portraits



The Four Images Below Were Provided Courtesy of Brian Pohanka


These Images Were Sent to Me by My Friend Mikel Uriguen








Here is a link to more of his photographs of McClellan on the web. CLICK ME FOR MORE MCCLELLAN PICS.

E. & H. T. Anthony Stereoview


Taylor & Huntington, postwar variant


E. & H. T. Anthony Stereoview, #1758

The Four Images Below Were Provided Courtesy of Brian Pohanka

These Images Were Sent to Me by My Friend Mikel Uriguen