Vote For the July Cover

[Eric Tipton]

Greetings:

It is time to vote for the July Cover of the Authentic Campaigner. Please vote for the image that you feel is the most authentic. We had a three-way tie for third place, so I made an executive decision and we will have five finalists this month. If your image is one of the final five, we are requiring that you provide some background information about the inspiration or impression for the image in this thread.

We encourage conversation about the impressions portrayed as well as any documentation that might be available that would add to the discussion. The intent of the selection process is to determine why you think one image is superior to another.

Image #1 - Click here to view.
Image #2 - Click here to view.
Image #3 - Click here to view.
Image #4 - Click here to view.
Image #5 - Click here to view.

Thanks to everyone who submitted. Good luck to the finalists.

This poll will close in four days.

[Duff]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

I like image #1. It seems like it required alot of specialization for the scenario portrayed and the reenactors did it well.

[confederal]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

Gentlemen,

I really liked #2! Being a young comrade that I am I had to vote for that image since it included some younger fellows in it. There isn't many reenacting images today that show the large amount of youth that was actually involved.

Evan Isaacs

[Marc29thGA]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

Image No. 1 really reached out to me and has the perception of almost 3-D qualities to give me the feel of being there, looking on at the moment captured. The two gentleman in the left foreground appear to be saying “Well, aren’t you joining up?” with their expressions.

Two thumbs up! :thumbs_up:thumbs_up

[PieBoy96]

Image #1 Description

Image #1
July, 2006
Liberty Rifles, Hardtack Society, & Southern Guard
Photo by Terry Whittington

The portrayal at this event was a recruiting mission for Company F of the 8th Pennsylvania Reserves, which was recruited from Bedford County, PA in the summer of 1861. The event was at Old Bedford Village (just outside Bedford, PA) which is comprised totally of period buildings - numerous homes, shops, a tavern, &c.

An officer and First Sgt. were at the event in grey early war uniforms (seen on the right side of the photo next to the company) to enlist men from the town to sign up under Lincoln's call for troops. Some men arrived with their own weaponry from home - Brown Besses, fowlers, shotguns, powder flasks and horns - and were then issued US accoutrements and weapons. A closer inspection of the photo will show that a couple men still retain their personal weaponry and do not have issue equipment yet. While still in citizen's clothing, men were trained in the school of the soldier and began the transformation into a military body.

Those men not enlisting volunteered their time to the park by replacing an entire porch on one of the houses. They did all work only with period tools and of course in period workmen's clothing.

The image was taken just before the newly assembled militia marched out of the town headed for war, and all the ladies came out to cast cheers, goodbyes, and tears. When the photographer was setting up his camera, most of us saw him setting up, but instead of giving us a warning about taking a photo, he just did it. Those who were standing still came out sharp, and those not paying much attention came out blurry. Simple as that. Yet it yielded quite an interesting photo with rather realistic qualities.

Marching out of the town then with the citizens behind us cheering us on was quite an experience - definitely got some chills on that one.

[Drygoods]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

I found this one a very tough vote. I loved 1-4-5. Number 5 I thought a good commentary, and four was great for it's artistic merits. However, when I saw that number one had the women looking better than the men, I had to give it my vote.:D

[charding4496]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

Many nice images, but being pictured in no. 1, ive gotta vote for that one. Though, I am hard to find as I was one of the ones not paying attention as the shot was set up. I did end up giving a nice look at the back of my head!

Cody J. Harding
Liberty Rifles

https://www.libertyrifles.org

[Stef5735]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

Selection: #4. One of my ancestors, who was an every day person, had a chalk drawing done while he was in his Civil War uniform. (The drawing is much larger than that in the photograph here.) The portrayal of the artist and his subject reminded me of how important the chalk drawing was to my ancestor.

[Brian Luscombe]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

I like image #4. Looks like a western impression and a serious group of soldiers.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

I really like that well armed cook in image #1.

[Eric Tipton]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

Paul & Stefanie:

Thank you for posting descriptions for your images. Can we hear from the other finalists as to your inspiration for your photos?

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

The "slack-jawed passersby staring into the camera" is a favorite impression of mine that needs some more exposure in the hobby. :tounge_sm

And that g'hal in the black basque and white hat at the left of image #1 sure is cute. I'd like to marry her. Oh, wait! I am!

This was a great event. The Saturday morning baseball game was grand, even though my team got creamed! And the tableaux! Amazing, and all the work Julie Herczeg put into them.

[DGerow]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

Image 4 made June 2007 at the battlefield at Perryville shows an artist working on a portrait in Conté, also known as Conté sticks or crayons, which are a drawing medium composed of compressed powdered graphite charcoal with a wax or clay base, square in cross-section. They were invented in 1795.

The impression is meant to be Henry Mosler at Perryville Kentucky where he made some important sketches while he was an art correspondent for Harper’s Weekly. The pose is based loosely on the idea that it could have been an influence to Norman Rockwell. He once was featured in a Saturday Evening Post printed image of him doing his own painted self-portrait. By making this image the Ferro-type artist (Wendell Decker) makes an acknowledgment to another artist’s media. In the image of the conte’ portrait the young man sits for the drawing at an important time in his life. Perhaps he will be swept up by events that are unfolding.

Dave Gerow
33d Wisc, HH Mess

[garyjd]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

my vote goes to #4 for the best period look IMHO. Besides, it's nice to see some different faces for a change.~Gary

[Charles Heath]

Re: Vote For the July Cover

And the tableaux! Amazing, and all the work Julie Herczeg put into them.

They were absolutely, positively, outstanding! Considering all the minstrel shows, talent acts, variety shows, plays, concerts, hoe downs, and other forms of entertainment at events, I have to say the tableaux vivant effort at Old Bedford Village last July topped them all, and then some. :D