Ron Coddington, editor and publisher of Military Images magazine, joins The Photo Detective podcast to share his journey from teenage Civil War photo collector to leading a respected history publication. He discusses the legacy of Civil War portraiture, the vast archive of surviving images, and the magazine’s mission to reconnect forgotten faces with their stories.
- The magazine, founded in 1979, showcases rare Civil War portraits and stories behind them.
- Civil War photography is vast—estimated at 40 million images taken, with millions surviving.
- A database of 10,000+ identified soldiers is now available online and via JSTOR.
- Traveling exhibits like Faces of Freedom bring Civil War stories to new audiences.
Related Episodes:
Episode 265: Spared and Shared: How One Man Made Civil War History Accessible to All
Episode 259: Digging Into Civil War Pension Files with Brian Rhinehart
Links:
- Military Images Magazine
- Sign up for my newsletter.
- Watch my YouTube Channel.
- Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebook
- Have a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation.
About My Guest:
Ronald S. Coddington began collecting Civil War-era photography as a teenager, and he has never stopped. A journalist by profession, he is the Editor and Publisher of Military Images, a quarterly magazine showcasing, interpreting, and preserving Civil War portrait photography. He is the author of the five-volume series, Faces of the Civil War (Johns Hopkins University Press), and Gettysburg Faces: Portraits and Personal Accounts (Gettysburg Publishing). His writings have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Civil War Monitor, Civil War Times, Civil War News, and elsewhere. You can follow his trips down the research rabbit hole on Life in the Civil War Research Trail weekdays on YouTube.
About Maureen Taylor:
Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others. Learn more at Maureentaylor.com
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I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.
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