Collage of historical images and cartoons of the American Civil War

Visual Culture of the American Civil WarA Special Feature of Picturing US History

Southern Illustrated News, June 20, 1863

Only a relative handful of images were produced in the South representing the Civil War. In September 1862, a Richmond publishing firm established the <em>Southern Illustrated News</em>, an eight-page weekly that aimed to create a pictorial record of the Confederacy at war. However, faced with the loss of materials previously supplied by northern industry and cut off by the naval blockade from obtaining an alternative supply from Europe, the Confederacy did not possess the necessary resources for publishing any pictorial paper comparable to the North's <em>Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper</em> or <em>Harper's Weekly</em>. From its inception publication of the <em>Southern Illustrated News</em> was hampered by shortages of paper, ink, printing presses&mdash;and skilled engravers.Only a relative handful of images were produced in the South representing the Civil War. In September 1862, a Richmond publishing firm established the Southern Illustrated News, an eight-page weekly that aimed to create a pictorial record of the Confederacy at war. However, faced with the loss of materials previously supplied by northern industry and cut off by the naval blockade from obtaining an alternative supply from Europe, the Confederacy did not possess the necessary resources for publishing any pictorial paper comparable to the North's Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper or Harper's Weekly. From its inception publication of the Southern Illustrated News was hampered by shortages of paper, ink, printing presses—and skilled engravers.

Source: American Antiquarian Society

Publisher: Southern Illustrated News

Date: June 20, 1863