The Civil War in Depth: History in 3-D [Hardcover]

Bob Zeller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

The first book to present the greatest photographs of the Civil War in the three-dimensional format in which they were originally taken and meant to be seen, The Civil War in Depth is a landmark contribution to both photographic history and the ever-popular study of the Southern rebellion. Author Bob Zeller resurrects a fascinating aspect of Civil War photography that has, until now, been largely forgotten, assembling more than 150 of the most compelling views of the war -- some of them well known in their one-dimensional form; all of them remarkable windows on another time. Complete with a stereoscopic viewer that unveils each image in glorious 3-D, The Civil War in Depth offers scenes that come to life in a way no two-dimensional photograph ever could. The remarkable collection includes the first war action photograph ever taken -- the shelling of Fort Sumter in 1863 -- as well as more than a dozen Civil War images never published until now. From the stoic face of Abraham Lincoln to the slave pens, prisons, wrecked battlefields, and devastated cities of the South, the war between the states has never been revealed with such astonishing clarity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

These two releases build on journalist Zeller's first In Depth, which three years ago collected similar reproductions of Civil War ephemera. Since then, many more small archive holders have come forward, and the raison d'?tre of this second In Depth book of stereograms (glasses included), photos and period documents is to organize and bring them to lightAundoubtedly with the huge Civil War-buff market in mind. Houstonian Jean Stanford's unparalleled private collection of stereoviews makes up the core of the book, providing some wonderfully dramatic battle-aftermath shots, as well as fascinating everyday looks at telegraph operators, spies and Port Hudson, La., "the last rebel stronghold." The book is carefully and compellingly laid out, the captions inform of scene and date, but analysis is not a focus. The Collection is a stand-alone set of period reproductions, including the 1863 color "almanac" (or catalogue) of clothing manufacturer Charles Stokes & Co., a contractual "Slave Policy," a pamphlet calling bearers "TO ARMS! TO ARMS!!" money, maps, daguerreotypes, advertisements and other period objects. (All are catalogued and briefly explained in a short accompanying text by Zeller.) The quality of the reproductions is generally good, if less than crisp, and the selection of materials effectively delineates the kinds of printed matter that circulated in mid-century torrents. As the war and culture surrounding it continue to be exhaustively mined by historians and buffs, such projects are the next logical step in getting the material to people in a form as near to the originals as possible, and the closest thing (short of reenactment) to having been there. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Nineteenth-century Americans reveled in the detailed, lifelike photographs that could be seen through a hand-held stereoscopic viewer. This sampling of stereoscopic views from the Civil War is a companion volume to Zeller's 1997 3-D photographic history of that great conflict. The impetus for the second volume was the discovery of a monumental private collection of Civil War stereo views. Sixty-three of the 170 photographs included here, some published for the first time, are from the private collection of Robin Stanford. Venturing beyond familiar battlefield scenes of broken bodies and ravaged landscapes or portraits of crusty commanders, Zeller, a journalist, features views of cities in wartime, African Americans, camp life, and 24 extraordinary wartime images hand-tinted with watercolors. An index allows access by subject or photographer, and the "Resource Guide" includes web sites for stereo-view shopping or further information on Civil War photography. A portable viewer included with this book enables the modern reader to experience the images as they were meant to be seen. Highly recommended for public libraries. [The stereoscopic viewer is not attached to the book; contact www.3 dglassesonline. com for replacements.DEd.]DKathleen M. Conley, Illinois State Univ., Normal, I.
-DKathleen M. Conley, Illinois State Univ., Normal, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; Book and Access edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811813487
• ISBN-13: 978-0811813488
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History in 3-D, January 25, 2000

By 

Scott Anderson "Sharpsburg" (Shepherdstown, WV) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Civil War in Depth: History in 3-D (Hardcover)

"Civil War in Depth" is a fascinating piece of work. The stereoscopic photographs literally jump off the page when viewed properly with the enclosed 3-D viewer. Many of these views were previously published using only one side. Thus the true look and clarity of detail was lost, but within these pages the pictures come back to life!

In speaking with Mr. Zeller at Chambersfest 99' in Chambersburg, PA, I found many of these views were never seen until most recently; with several more unseen views recently surfacing after publication. If the opportunity ever presents itself, by all means, see his slide presentation based upon his research.

Many thanks to Bob Zeller for the excellent work and detail that went into this publication and I hope to see more newly discovered views in a possible up and coming book.

I highly recommend this book to fellow Historians and Civil War buffs. It's a must for your collection!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A small peak through a time machine, August 13, 2000

By 

Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Civil War in Depth, Volume II (Hardcover)

"The Civil War in Depth, Volume II" is Bob Zeller's followup to his first book of Civil War stereo photographs, published three years ago. As he explains in the foreward, Zeller had not intended to do a sequel, even though there had been some outstanding stereo views he had not been able to include in the first volume. Less than two years ago, however, he was granted access to a phenomenal collection of Civil War stereo photos compiled by Robin Stanford, an amateur historian (and that is "amateur" in all the best senses). Photos from Ms. Stanford's collection provide nearly half the images in the present volume.

In this book we see in three-dimensions battlefields and campgrounds, generals and private soldiers, the living and the dead, great cities and slave plantations. Viewing these images is like being granted a small peak through a time machine. They give an unmatched immediacy to the Civil War and the people who lived through it -- or died in its battles. The photographs of the dead (some familiar from their usual "mono" reproductions) are especially powerful, the reality of battlefield death driven home when you for the first time see the soldiers' bodies seemingly at your feet.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stereophotography of the Civil War, March 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Civil War in Depth: History in 3-D (Hardcover)

This book in an excellant introduction to Civil War stereophotography. The pictures are wonderfully composed and provide insight into the war. There is a good foundation placed and a simple history written.