Two weeks ago this image was so covered with dirt and dust it was almost unrecognizable. Restoration of the Virginia officer’s image revealed the unmistakable signature of famed Southern photographer Charles Rees of Richmond, Va., etched into the emulsion. His works are rare and prized, as he was arguably the finest photographer of the Civil War era. Each image was a masterpiece, a photographic work of art. Rees’ studio fell victim to the fires that ravaged Richmond when Confederate forces evacuated the city on April 3, 1865.
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