A thorough appreciation of the past requires a mastery of historical facts and concepts, as well as an understanding of how that historical knowledge is interpreted and preserved. A good Civil War photographer sees history and records it through the lens of a camera. A great Civil War photographer does more than that –… Read more

A thorough appreciation of the past requires a mastery of historical facts and concepts, as well as an understanding of how that historical knowledge is interpreted and preserved. A good Civil War photographer sees history and records it through the lens of a camera. A great Civil War photographer does more than that – they see something special – a small, but moving, element of a monument, the fiery colors of a sunset that reminds them of a story of a battle, a landscape so beautiful, yet once such a field of carnage. It is not enough to take a simple picture on a Civil War battlefield for those of us who love and appreciate the study of the Civil War. We see each moment on a battlefield as our chance to preserve a moment in history that means something very special to us. Mike is a rare gem among the great photographers of Civil War history. He captures special elements in his photographs that he uses to tell the story of the Civil War. He is a fine Civil War historian, with a knowledge base that I both admire and envy. The story he tells through the lens of his camera is inspiring. Thank you for your willingness to share your talents within the Flickr Civil War Family. ~~Violet T. Clark