CWPT
For Immediate Release: 10/26/09
Winners of National Civil War Photography Contest Announced
Thirteen winning shots were selected from more than 2,500 submissions in five categories
(Washington, DC) – The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the hallowed ground of Civil War battlefields, is pleased to announce the winners of its 14th annual photography contest, a competition cosponsored by History, formerly The History Channel, and the Center for Civil War Photography.
These modern shutterbugs are following in the footsteps of Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner and others whose work made the Civil War the first major conflict to be extensively documented by photojournalists. But unlike their predecessors in the 1860s, today’s photographers were able to take advantage of twenty-first century technology available, submitting their digital images online through the photo-sharing website Flickr.com.
“When I visit a Civil War battlefield, I am humbled, knowing the history that happened on the ground beneath my feet,” said CWPT president Jim Lighthizer. “These extraordinaryily talented men and women have been able to capture the solemnity and beauty of these sites. I truly thank them for sharing these stirring images with us.”
From more than 2,500 submissions, a Grand Prize winner, as well as first- through third-place recognitions were selected in four categories: Civil War Battlefields, showcasing the solemn and scenic landscapes of these hallowed grounds; People on Civil War Battlefields, focusing on visitors young and old enjoying their time on the battlefield; Preservation Threats, illustrating the grave threats faced by many Civil War battlefields and historic sites; and Then and Now, contrasting early images of Civil War battlefields with the same sites today.
“I am extremely pleased to recognize these winners,” Lighthizer said, “and sincerely hope they will continue to use their talents to share the beauty of Civil War battlefields and their love of history with others.”
This year’s grand prize winner is Don Johnson of Gaithersburg, Md., for his photo, “Monocacy Battlefield Tree.” Mr. Johnson will receive complimentary registration to CWPT’s 2010 annual conference, “Battle in the Bluegrass: The Fight for Kentucky.”
All category honorees will receive plaques commemorating the award and will have their images appear in the 2010 CWPT calendar. First-place winners will also receive a one year membership or membership extension in the organization. Additionally, the winner of the Then and Now category received free registration to the Center for Civil War Photography’s 2010 “Image of War Seminar.”
Civil War Battlefields: Mike Talplacido of Houston, Texas, for “Big Black Bridge”; Violet Clark of LaFollette, Tenn., for “Defending the Position”; and Ron Callahan of Rockville, Md., for “Trostle Barn, Gettysburg.”
People on Civil War Battlefields: Carl Staub of Lakewood, Ohio, for “Early AM Muster, Mill Springs, Kentucky”; Brian Swartz of Hampden, Maine, for “The Pink Cannoneer”; and Ron Callahan of Rockville, Md., for “Gettysburg Ghost.”
Preservation Threats: Chris Van Blargen of Canal Fulton, Ohio, for “Development adjacent to Richmond Battlefield Park, Mount Zion Church Phase”; Kisha Tracy of McLeansboro, Ill., for “Tupelo National Battlefield, Mississippi”; and Derek Ralson of Oroville, Calif., for “Fighting a Second Fight.”
Then & Now: Chris Van Blargen of Canal Fulton, Ohio, for “Moore House — Yorktown, Virginia”; Wayne Basconi of Versailles, Ky., for “Confederate Cemetery at Perryville, KY Battlefield”; and Janet L. Greentree of Burke, Va., for Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.”
Winning images can be viewed online at www.civilwar.org/photos. To browse all of the images submitted to the contest, visit CWPT’s page on Flickr, www.flickr.com/groups/cwpt. Additional images will be added to this group throughout the year. Information on how to enter the 2010 contest will be available in April.
With 55,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds. CWPT’s website is www.civilwar.org.
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(To learn more about the CWPT photo contest and see past winners, visit http://www.civilwar.org/photos)
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