Category: Civil Wars
Explore the human side of civil wars through authentic historical photographs. Witness the struggles, courage, and consequences of divided nations.
These images document key events and personal moments that shaped political and social transformations around the world.
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#94 Troops on patrol in Korea, 1952.
Along a rough ridge above a patchwork of terraced rice paddies, a patrol of soldiers moves in single file, their figures cutting across the slope as mountains rise in the background. Thatched shelters cling to the hillside, and the valley below is divided into tidy, water-filled rectangles that speak to daily agricultural life continuing under…
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#110 In October 1950, communist China entered the Korean conflict, sending thousands of soldiers across the Yalu River. The People’s Volunteer Army, or PVA, won a series of victories, demoralizing U.N. troops and forcing them back across the 38th parallel into South Korea.
A file of bundled-up soldiers moves along a sunlit wall, their quilted uniforms and fur-lined caps giving the scene a stark, wintry feel even without snow in view. Armed guards flank the column with rifles at the ready, while hard shadows stretch across the ground and emphasize the controlled, tense pace of the march. The…
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#10 A father’s hands press against the window of a bus carrying his tearful son and wife to safety from the besieged city of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War on November 10, 1992
Pressed flat against the bus window, a father’s hands become the last physical link between those leaving and the person forced to remain behind. Inside the glass, a young boy stares out with a clenched, tearful face, his small hand raised to meet the adult palms on the other side. A woman—his mother—leans close, eyes…
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#26 A Muslim mother carries her child at a refugee camp set up at Tuzla airport.
A mother’s steady grip becomes the center of a sprawling refugee camp at Tuzla airport, where rows of tents stretch across open ground and people drift between makeshift shelters. She carries a small child on her hip, his legs dangling, shoes dusty, face turned toward the camera with a quiet, watchful stare. Around them, the…
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#4 A child playing by the Berlin Wall. The latin words “IN TYRANNOS” has been written in capital letters on the Wall. West-Berlin.
Against a rough field of masonry, the Berlin Wall becomes a backdrop to an ordinary moment: a child mid-play, small feet skimming the pavement beneath letters that shout across the stones. The Latin phrase “IN TYRANNOS,” sprayed in bold capitals, reads like a lesson and a warning at once, turning a blunt barrier into a…
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#20 Children playing at the Berlin Wall in Berlin Wedding.
Against a rough stretch of concrete in Berlin Wedding, a small group of children turns the Berlin Wall into the edge of a playground, their figures dwarfed by the barrier’s sheer height and the angled wire above it. One child stands close to the surface, arm lifted as if tracing lines or testing the wall’s…
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#2 Sergeant Alfred A. Stratton of Co. G, 147th New York Infantry Regiment, with amputated arms. 1864.
Sergeant Alfred A. Stratton stands posed in a studio setting, framed by an ornate case that hints at how carefully such portraits were kept and treasured. His Union uniform is buttoned high and neat, and a small insignia catches the light on his chest. The stillness of the pose contrasts with the unmistakable reality of…
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#18 Major General Daniel E. Sickles.
Major General Daniel E. Sickles appears here in formal military dress, seated with a steady, unsmiling composure that was typical of Civil War–era portraiture. The crisp double-breasted uniform, shoulder insignia, and carefully groomed mustache speak to rank, authority, and the public image expected of senior officers. Even without a visible studio imprint or captioned date,…
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#34 Jason W. Joslyn. Excision of head & 4 inches of shaft femur, prosthesis in place. PVT, Company I, 7th New York Heavy Artillery. Injured at 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor
Jason W. Joslyn stands in a studio setting with the composed, direct gaze so common to Civil War-era portraiture, yet the details of his stance tell a harder story. One hand settles at his hip while the other rests on a pedestal, drawing the eye to the altered line of his body and the carefully…
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#50 Pvt. Samuel H. Decker, Company I, 4th US artillery. Double amputation of the forearms for injury caused by the premature explosion of a gun on 8 October 1862, at the Battle of Perryville, KY. Shown with self-designed prosthetics.
Pvt. Samuel H. Decker of Company I, 4th U.S. Artillery stands with a steady, unsentimental gaze, his posture doing as much talking as the worn studio backdrop behind him. The portrait’s plain clothing and direct pose keep the viewer’s attention where it belongs: on the lasting human cost of artillery service in the Civil War,…