It never ceases to amaze me how low-res and dark a Kodak picture from 1985 can be, and yet this image from a wet plate glass negative by James F. Gibson is clear as a bell. Isn’t it amazing to see this group of fellows at Camp Winfield Scott, near Yorktown, Virginia in May of 1862? It’s from the collection of the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862.
This is the full image, but I really enjoy zooming in on the details to get a better understanding of life over 150 years ago.
The sober faces, the wayward hairs, the buttons on their shirts, the metal cup that seems like it would conduct the heat and be hard to handle–so interesting!
I Don't Get It 
I wonder if the glass on the table actually contains water?
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Well, the title of the pic was “coffee break” but you could be right. I didn’t think about that. It’s probably Madeira. 😉
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Love this! I think these photos show such better photography than today.
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Absolutely!
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You should come work with me! This is what I do most days. No, not take coffee breaks! I scan and document glass plate negatives. I first make a negative of the plate, then convert it to positive, saving both as separate files. Then I will enlarge the digital image and remove the specks and blemishes, like those in your first pic showing on the tent and uniform. I then save that as a separate file. A lot of work but I love the detail of these. Sometimes though, the person being photographed moves and it creates a ghost image.
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What an interesting job, preserving those images that way! That’s a skill few of us have. I hope people see these on big laptops rather than phones; the details are so amazing.
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How did they do it? From what I understand the the process of taking a picture then was a lot more complex than merely point and shoot. Incredible. Beautiful shot.
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I’m sure I couldn’t figure it out. I’ve had my Nikon for years and only use it on two settings (flash or no flash) LOL.
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