Figure 1.-- What we have is a wealth of photographs taken in Richmond. One of the most moving to us is a mastrfully posed scene of what we believe is a now free African American family taken with the ruins of Richmond in the background. THis would have been taken shortly after the fall of Richmond, probably about the timr Lee surendered. What Gardner produced is a fusion of the prize and cost of the War inone concise image. Gardner ws a stanch abolitionist and tgere is no soubt as to his purpose. The monumebtal achievement of the Federal war effort--freedom for an enslaved people. Gardner has posed them in the front, a group with many children. And the cist of that their freedom symbolized by the ruins of Richmond in the background. A superb piece of art. Perhaps less obvious is the group thar Gardner has captured which we believe is an African American family.

Grant finally broke Lee's line at Petersburg. The loss of Fort Stedman set in motiin the Confederate collapsse (Marcg 25). The Confederate defeat ay Five Forks followed piercing the Confederate lines (April 1). This meant that Richmond had to be abandoned. The Federal forces finally began to enter Petersbyurg (April 2) Petersburg surrbdered at dawn (April 3) and Richmind in the evening. Immeiately photographers descended upon first Petersburg an then Richmond. Such was the interest in Richmond that photographers missed the most important photp opportunity pf the War--Lee's surrender to Grant (April 9). What we have is a wealth of photographs taken in Richmond. One of the most moving to us is a mastrfully posed scene of what we believe is a now free African American family taken with the ruins of Richmond in the background. THis would have been taken shortly after the fall of Richmond, probably about the timr Lee surendered. What Gardner produced is a fusion of the prize and cost of the War in one concise image. Gardner ws a stanch abolitionist and tgere is no soubt as to his purpose. The monumental achievement of the Federal war effort--freedom for an enslaved people. Gardner has posed them in the front, a group with many children. And the cist of that their freedom symbolized by the ruins of Richmond in the background. A superb piece of art. Perhaps less obvious is the group thar Gardner has captured which we blieve is an African American family. This is impossible to know. We see a family partiarch at the center, but there is no adult woman. Here e are not sure why. But all the young children and the wy the elderly man is hilding them mutmean a family relationship. And some of the oldrr boys also must be relatd. The way they are sitting uggests that most are. Here despite the way slavery often separate families, this impage at the moment of freedom is vivid testiomony to the tenaxity with which Afro-Americans managed to hold their families together. nd it is a terrible inditement of liberal welfare policies that are complicit in the destruction of the ,odern Afro-Americn family. Over 70 percent of Afro-American children are born to mothers unwed mothers. It sems very liked that slave families were more intact that modern Afro-American families. It is a tragic circumstance tht is virtully ignored by the civil rights community.

Created: 1:46 PM 3/29/2015
Last updated: 1:46 PM 3/29/2015