On February 2, 2020, renowned historian and author, Dr. Stephen Davis, was the speaker for the Sunday At The Museum lecture series. His topic, “George N. Barnard: Photographer of Civil War Atlanta,” attracted history and photography buffs from the surrounding area and as far as Atlanta. Davis’ program was based on his recently published book, 100 Significant Civil War Photos: Atlanta Campaign.
Davis began his talk by explaining that Barnard was working with famous photographer Mathew Brady in the early years of the war. However, Union General W. T. Sherman’s chief engineer, Captain Orlando Poe, later hired Barnard away from Brady. Poe directed Barnard to take photos of the cities along Sherman’s route. Within days after Sherman took Atlanta in 1864, Poe ordered Barnard to come to Georgia and start taking pictures of Atlanta. Davis concluded his talk by saying, “Had it not been for the work of George N. Barnard, today we would not know what Atlanta looked like before and during the Civil War.”
Today, the chief depositories of Barnard’s work, according to Davis, are the Library of Congress and the U.S. Military Academy Library at West Point. There are smaller collections throughout the United States, however, and unknown photos continue to surface.
