Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum

Author Topic: Famous Photograph  (Read 3206 times)

speedenforcer

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Famous Photograph
« on: September 08, 2018, 08:38:28 PM »
I wish I could post the picture but cant. Everyone one on here knows the famous photo. I'm speaking of one of the Gettysburg photos, the one that is a close up of a dead reb, his abdomen is ripped open and his hand is blown off and is lying beside him with a canteen in the foreground and his musket is lying across his legs with bayonet attached. Yall have seen it. My question is, Is that an un-detonated 10 pound parrot round lying in the background next to his body? I never noticed it before.
It's not always "Survival of the fitest" sometimes the idiots get through.

CarlS

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Re: Famous Photograph
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2018, 11:03:20 AM »
I suspect you are referring to the one below I snipped from the full image.  And I'd say that it is indeed a Parrott shell.  Unfortunately the graininess and size doesn't allow (me at least) the ability to discern if it is a Parrott, Read-Parrott or Read but I'd say from the shell's profile it is a Parrott or Read-Parrott.  If we could find a high resolution scan of the original then we could probably tell more detail about the sabot.

The full image is here (Warning: Not for weak of stomach):
    https://allthatsinteresting.com/battle-of-gettysburg-photos#6
« Last Edit: September 09, 2018, 11:17:11 AM by CarlS »
Best,
Carl

speedenforcer

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Re: Famous Photograph
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2018, 07:56:04 PM »
It is a well known fact that some of the photos at Gettysburg were staged. To me this appears to be staged as well. Although it is a real dead body I think the whole rifle laying cross his legs and the shell laying the way it is just appears to me to be staged. Opinions?
It's not always "Survival of the fitest" sometimes the idiots get through.

pipedreamer65

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Re: Famous Photograph
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2018, 08:08:22 AM »
Agreed, completely staged.  The weapon is probably a prop along with the projectile.  There are accounts of photographers dragging the same body around to pose in different shots at gettysburg (IE: famous home of the sharpshooter image at Devils Den).  By the time they got there, many of the bodies were buried in several sectors of the battlefield. 

speedenforcer

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Re: Famous Photograph
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2018, 12:05:27 PM »
Do to the condition of the body I do not believe it was moved around the battlefield like the "Sharpshooter" was. I think the location of the photograph IS the spot of his demise. The photographer did take the liberty of adding props however. That's my opinion.
It's not always "Survival of the fitest" sometimes the idiots get through.

pipedreamer65

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Re: Famous Photograph
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2018, 06:11:50 PM »
Lol, no i don't think that body was drug around.  Yuck

Lamar

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Re: Famous Photograph
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2018, 07:49:28 PM »
Here's the link to an extremely comprehensive study on the Devil's Den sharpshooter photos -

http://www.jamescgroves.com/henry/summary.htm

It may have been posted on here years ago.  You gotta really be interested to read the whole thing - but, if you do, you'll be convinced the body was found at DD, & then dragged downhill for the other set of pictures.  The Gettysburg National Park's official position is that the body was dragged uphill - but the rangers (or at least the ones I'm aware of) disagree.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2018, 11:36:29 AM by Lamar »