Through British Eyes: The Illustrated London News Sketches the American Civil War

Britain’s most popular illustrated weekly newspaper, The Illustrated London News, took pride in providing a pictorial commentary on domestic and world affairs. The newspaper sent a number of artists to the United States to provide illustrations and articles on the American Civil War.

The images exhibited are framed original newspapers, sold between 186- and 1865. Subjects of the images include Northern and Southern military and political leaders, African-American slaves, camps and battle scenes of both, Union and Confederate soldiers, and Northern and Southern naval vessels.

Why Drawings and Not Photographs? 

Photography was available during the Civil War, but the technology was limited. Cameras could not capture motion and if anyone or anything moved during their long exposure times, the picture was blurred.

In order to deliver action-filled images to their readers, artists traveled with the armies and recorded portraits of military leaders, scenes of camp life, and the action of battle.

From trees, hillsides, and earthworks, artists quickly made sketches of the chaos of battle. later, they combined these drawings into larger, complex scenes of action. These were sent by courier to the home office and engraved into the original illustrations for the newspaper.