2012 Civil War Photography Contest Winners Announced
Eighteen winning shots were selected from more than 2,200 submissions in five categories
(Washington, DC) – For the 17th year, the Civil War Trust, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the hallowed ground of Civil War battlefields, is pleased to announce the winners of its annual photography contest. The competition cosponsored by History™, and the Center for Civil War Photography.Photography and the Civil War are inextricably linked, since the work of artists like Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner made the conflict the first to be extensively documented by photojournalists. But unlike their predecessors in the 1860s, today’s photographers were able to take advantage of 21st century technology, submitting their digital images online through the photo-sharing website Flickr.com.
“Visiting
a Civil War battlefield, especially as we remember the 150th
anniversary of that conflict, can be incredibly moving,” said Trust
president Jim Lighthizer. “These can be beautiful places, but their
scenery is particularly haunting when we pause to remember the suffering
and bloodshed that occurred there. I am grateful to all of the
photographers who participated in this year’s contest for sharing their
talents with us.”The 2012 edition of the contest saw a record number of entries — more than 2,200 in total — leaving judges the difficult task of selecting a Grand Prize winner, as well as first- through third-place recognitions in five categories: Civil War Battlefields, showcasing the solemn and scenic landscapes of these hallowed grounds; People on Civil War Battlefields, focusing on visitors young and old enjoying their time on the battlefield; Preservation Threats, illustrating the grave threats faced by many Civil War battlefields and historic sites; Sesquicentennial – 1862, featuring the events and personalities of 150 years ago; and Then and Now, contrasting early images of Civil War battlefields with the same sites today. A People’s Choice winner was also selected in online voting.
This year’s grand prize winner
is Buddy Secor of Stafford, Va., for his photo, “Chancellorsville at
Dawn,” a beautiful depiction of the field where the Confederacy won what
was arguably its greatest victory. He will receive complimentary
registration to the Trust’s 2013 Annual Conference in Jackson, Miss.All category honorees will receive plaques commemorating the award and will have their images appear in various Trust printed and digital media. First-place winners will also receive a one year membership or membership extension in the organization. Additionally, the winner of the Then and Now category received free registration to the Center for Civil War Photography’s 2012 “Image of War Seminar.”
Civil War Battlefields: Dave Sandt of Stroudsburg, Pa., for “Commanding Union General George Gordon Meade”; Rose Krohn Epps of Austin, Texas, for “Brotherton Cabin (Chickamauga)”; and Daniel Pownall of Phoenix, Ariz., for “The Battle of Picacho Peak”; Britt Isenberg of Gettysburg, Pa., for “Directing the Defense (Gettysburg)”.
People on Civil War Battlefields:
Tara Baldwin of Nicholasville, Ky., for “One Nation Under God (Camp
Nelson, Ky.)”; Jessie Mae Kanagie of Schwenksville, Pa., for “Face to
Face (at Gettysburg)”; Carl Staub of Lakewood, Ohio, for “Antietam —
Dawn in the Cornfield”.Preservation Threats: Vernon Battencourt of Alexandria, Va., for “Framed by the Future (Cedar Creek Battlefield)”; Mike Talplacido of Houston, Texas, for “Wauhatchie”; Russ Warner of Brandon, Miss., for “Missionary Ridge”.
Sesquicentennial – 1862:
Carl Staub of Lakewood, Ohio, for “Dunker Church as Field Hospital”;
Mike Talplacido of Houston, Texas, for “The 2nd Iowa 150th (Shiloh)”;
Mark Anderson of Laytonsville, Md., for “Antietam Illumination”.Then & Now: Perry Cuskey of Oklahoma City, Okla., for “Ross Monument (Shiloh)”; Flickr User “Floridaman1985” for “Fort Brady (Richmond, Va.)”; Tommy Kays of Richland, Mo., for “Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge, Ark.)”.
People’s Choice: Ron Zanoni of Chester Springs, Pa., for “North Carolina Amidst the Battle Smoke”.Winning images can be viewed online at www.civilwar.org/photos. To browse all of the images submitted to the contest, visit the Trust’s page on Flickr, www.flickr.com/groups/cwpt. Additional images will be added to this group throughout the year. Information on how to enter the 2013 contest will be available in the spring.
The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 34,000 acres of battlefield in 20 states. Learn more at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.
