Photography in the Civil War A Catalyst of the Realist Movement

Imagine a time when… Your only news comes in the form of newspapers if you are in a populated area, or word of mouth and old newspapers if you are in a rural area A letter that you mailed in January might not be received until April or later if mailed beyond the local area There are no phones, radios, televisions, computers, or sometimes mail service to help you access information Newspapers use only artist renditions and drawings to depict events visually Painted portraits, made at great expense, are the only visual depiction of what a person looks like

As a result… How would this change your access to and understanding of local, national, and international events? Could you rely on the accuracy of the information that you do receive? How might the advent of photography address these issues?