2018 ECW Early Bird Symposium Admission
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Tag Archives: History-vs-Art
A Monumental Discussion: Chris Mackowski
How many of you remember Piss Christ? In 1987, photographer Andres Serrano took a small plastic crucifix and submerged it in a glass of his own urine. He then took a photo and included it in a touring exhibit where, … Continue reading
Posted in Civil War in Pop Culture, Memory, Monuments
Tagged art, censorship, Confederate monuments, History-vs-Art, monumental-discussion, statues
27 Comments
Review: The Gettysburg Cyclorama
Having worked so much at the Wilderness, I don’t buy into that whole “Gettysburg as the turning point of the Civil War” nonsense. Aside from that premise, though, there’s little negative to say about Chris Brenneman and Sue Boardman’s stunning … Continue reading
Day Four: The Stream of American History
Part eleven in a series Because Dan is working on a book about Corinth, for the Emerging Civil War Series, the town is a “must” on our tour. While I’ll help him grab some photos for the book, my main … Continue reading
Posted in Memory, Slavery
Tagged Civil War Trip 2015, Corinth, History-vs-Art, liberty, memorial, slavery, Stream of American History
8 Comments
Day Four: I Have Seen the King
Part nine in a series I’m not going to pretend to make a Civil War connection between Elvis Presley and the Civil War. We’re passing through Tupelo, Mississippi, on our way from Vicksburg to Corinth, so I’m stopping at the … Continue reading
Posted in Memory, Personalities, Ties to the War
Tagged Civil War Trip 2015, Elvis Presley, History-vs-Art, Memory
1 Comment
“Telling History” vs “Making Art”: Richard Ewell on July 1
My favorite scene in the movie Gettysburg comes when a fiery Isaac Trimble, taught as an over-coiled spring, appears before Robert E. Lee to recount the events of July 1. Frustrated by Richard Ewell’s inaction in front of Cemetery Hill … Continue reading
A Cat Man: Mr. Lincoln
There are times when research seems repetitive. Battles, generals, troop movements, the effects of one thing upon another, and on and on. It is an endless stream, and once one dips one’s toes in it, either you want to do … Continue reading
Does the American Civil War Need a Theme Song?
Like so many, I have been captivated by the mournfully lovely tune “Ashokan Farewell.” I am sure most of us first heard it when we were watching Ken Burns’s The Civil War, and wondered about it. I knew I had … Continue reading
Not Your Average Lincoln Movie: Saving Lincoln
Anyone who has read a post or a blog by me knows that I am a serious fan of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth and Ward Hill Lamon, both good friends of Abraham Lincoln. I love those guys, and I write about … Continue reading
Posted in Books & Authors, Civil War Events, Civilian, Internet, Websites & Blogs, Personalities, Photography, Ties to the War, Upcoming Events
Tagged Abe Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, CineCollage, Dave Alvin, History-vs-Art, movie, Photography, Sal Litvak, Saving Lincoln, Ward Hill Lamon. CineCollage
8 Comments
Lincoln brilliantly captures the icon’s humanity
One of the things I’ve found most remarkable about the Civil War is the physical change that overcame President Lincoln during his time in office. The distinguished, thoughtful lawyer from Illinois who first arrived in Washington wasted away over four … Continue reading
Telling History vs. Making Art: Fictions and Histories
Final part of a series “[H]istory and historical fiction,” says historian Paul Ashdown, “are alternate ways of telling stories about the past.”[1] In that context, Ulysses S. Grant spoke more truth than he realized when he said “Wars produce many … Continue reading
