(Washington, D.C.) - As the relatively new medium of photography blossomed during the Civil War years, photographers worked on battlefields and in army camps to capture images of the defining conflict of their time. Those who walk those same sites today are still captivated by the power and beauty of the ground that defined our nation.
In continued commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the conflict, the Civil War Trust, History™ and the Center for Civil War Photography (CCWP) are calling for submissions to the 2014 Civil War Photo Contest, a national competition promoting both the preservation of our nation's hallowed ground and an understanding of why those fields became war zones in the first place. The contest, now in its 19th year, is an excellent opportunity for Civil War and photography enthusiasts nationwide to explore and document these spaces.
"This contest is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to explore America's hallowed ground," said Trust president James Lighthizer. "By continuing to visit and document the fields across which our freedom was forged, we remember and understand just how sacred these tangible links to our past truly are."
The contest invites amateur photographers to submit Civil War-related photos in five different categories:
• Civil War Battlefields, showcasing the solemn and scenic landscapes of these hallowed grounds;
• People on Civil War Battlefields, focusing on visitors' experience at the battlefields;
• Preservation Threats, highlighting dangers to America's Civil War battlefields and historic sites;
• Then and Now, contrasting early images of Civil War battlefields with the same sites today; and
• Civil War 1864, exploring battlefields and historic sites associated with the fourth year of the war, including Spotsylvania Courthouse, Resaca, Brice's Crossroads, Petersburg, and many more.
The Trust will present a total of 17 awards. The winner of each category will receive a plaque and complimentary one-year membership (or extension) to the Trust, while the Grand Prize winner will receive free registration to the organization's 2015 annual conference in Richmond, Va. Additionally, the winner of the "Then and Now" category will receive free registration to the CCWP annual Image of War seminar being held in Fredericksburg, Va., and scheduled for October 10-12, 2014. Second- and third-place winners for each category will receive Civil War Trust Photo Contest 2014 plaques
Trust members and other participants will select the People's Choice award from forty images chosen as finalists. The People's Choice award winner will receive a plaque and a one-year membership to the Trust. All winning images will be featured in Trust publications and on its website, www.civilwar.org.
The Trust requires contestants to submit an entry form, providing contact information to help the Trust reach out to the winners. Participants must be amateur photographers at least 13 years old. The deadline for entries is Aug. 15. Individuals can submit an unlimited number of photographs, but each image will only be considered in one category. All contest submissions must be uploaded to the Trust's Flickr page, www.flickr.com/groups/cwpt. Users can obtain a free account at www.flickr.com. After uploaded, photos must be tagged to ensure their consideration in the correct category. For complete contest rules and instructions on how to enter, visit the Trust online at www.civilwar.org/photocontest.
The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its goal is to preserve our nation's endangered Civil War sites and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 38,500 acres of battlefield land in 20 states. Learn more at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.