P. S. Weaver, Photo of Posed Scene in Devils Den at Gettysburg

Description

This photo, identified on the back as  “Little Round Top / Gettysburg” by Peter S. Weaver portrays a posed scene at Devils Den. William Frassanito identifies this view as among the rarest scenes taken at Gettysburg.

Gettysburg photographer Peter S. Weaver made several photos on November 11, 1863, that anticipated the November 19 dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. He hired several soldiers (and two embalmers) from the Camp Letterman hospital to accompany him to Devils Den and pose for photos. The photos they made that day are among the most recognized Civil War images of live actors posing as battlefield dead.

The pictures were quickly printed and mounted on boards with hand-written identifications the verso. The Weavers appear to have sold them as souvenirs at the cemetery dedication when Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

This view depicts four soldiers posing atop what is probably the most recognizable rock formation in Devils Den. Modern visitors to the battlefield will recognize it as soon as they step out of their cars in the parking area. The camera was, in fact, placed near where the parking lot is now. A fifth figure stands at the bottom of the rocks, looking up at the soldiers.

Historian William Frassanito describes this image as among the “rarest” of Gettysburg images, stating that it is “without question the best overall photograph known to have been recorded of Devils Den when the area still appeared essentially as it had during the battle…” (Early Photography at Gettysburg, 301).

Frassanito further finds that the apparent mislabeling of the scene can be explained by the fact that the term “Devils Den” had not yet taken hold in the popular imagination in early November, 1863. “Little Round Top” may have been a term that potential customers would recognize, and Weaver seems to have intended that it be used to describe any area on the southern part of the field.

The image is uncommonly vivid, as one would expect from a positive photo made directly from the glass plate. It also shows some signs of processing flaws that may contribute to the scarcity of original images. These appear at the edges of this print, which are not included in the image reproduced in Frassinito’s definitive work on the subject, Early Photography at Gettysburg.

Both image and mount are lightly foxed. The mount is lightly chipped at the edges. The principal part of the image is well preserved with remarkable tonality and detail. A beautiful and uncommon view, and a genuine relic of the day Lincoln gave his immortal speech.

Weaver, Peter S. “Little Round Top / Gettysburg” Posed scene in Devils Den. Albumen Photo from glass plate 13” x 10/1/2” (approx.), 11 November, 1863; (Frassanito. Early Photography at Gettysburg, 303).