Gen. Grant giving order to Gen. McPherson, from the series "The Chicago Panorama of the Battle of Shiloh"
Medium
Albumen print, stereo
Dimensions
Each image: 10 × 7.5 cm (3 15/16 × 3 in.); Card: 10.8 × 17.7 cm (4 5/16 × 7 in.)
Classification
photography
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
197741
Art Historical Context
This stereoscopic albumen print by Henry Hamilton Bennett captures a pivotal moment from the Civil War’s Battle of Shiloh, showing General Ulysses S. Grant issuing orders to General James B. McPherson. Created in 1887 as part of the series “The Chicago Panorama of the Battle of Shiloh,” the work was designed for a popular cyclorama exhibition that brought the 1862 conflict vividly to life for Chicago audiences two decades after the war’s end. Bennett’s use of the stereo format was especially effective for historical subjects. When viewed through a stereoscope, the paired images produce a stri...
About the Artist
Henry Hamilton Bennett · 1843–1908
Henry Hamilton Bennett (1843–1908) was a pioneering American photographer whose breathtaking images of the Wisconsin Dells transformed a rugged river gorge into one of the nation's premier tourist destinations. Born in Farnham, Quebec, Canada, on January 15, 1843, Bennett moved with his family to Brattleboro, Vermont, before settling in Kilbourn City (now Wisconsin Dells), Wisconsin, in 1857 at ag...