[Encampment of 71st New York State Militia, Washington, D.C.]
April–May 1861
![[Encampment of 71st New York State Militia, Washington, D.C.] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/encampment-of-71st-new-york-state-militia-830989.webp)
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions
Image: 6 × 8 in. (15.2 × 20.3 cm) Sheet: 6 × 8 in. (15.2 × 20.3 cm) Mount: 7 3/4 in. × 9 5/8 in. (19.7 × 24.4 cm)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Vital Projects Fund Inc. Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2019
Accession Number
2019.519
Tags
Art Historical Context
This poignant albumen silver print captures encampment of the st New York State Milit in Washington, D.C during April–May 1861, at the outset of the American Civil War. Just weeks after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, Union troops like the 71st—a storied New York regiment—rushed to the capital to bolster its defenses amid fears of Southern invasion. The image freezes a moment of tense anticipation: rows of tents, soldiers at rest or drill, evoking the raw energy of a nation mobilizing for unprecedented conflict. As an early example of Civil War photography, this 6 × 8-inch print from a...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...