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Catalog Data

Artist:
Alexander Gardner, 17 Oct 1821 - 10 Dec 1882  Search this
Sitter:
Jonathan Letterman, 11 Dec 1824 - 15 Mar 1872  Search this
Unidentified Men  Search this
Medium:
Albumen silver print
Dimensions:
Image/Sheet: 17.1 × 23 cm (6 3/4 × 9 1/16")
Mount: 30.1 × 38.7 cm (11 7/8 × 15 1/4")
Mat: 40.6 × 55.9 cm (16 × 22")
Type:
Photograph
Place:
United States\Virginia\Fauquier\Warrenton
Date:
November 1862
Exhibition Label:
With this group portrait, Gardner turned his attention to the medical corps of the Army of the Potomac, spotlighting the importance of Dr. Jonathan Letterman, who was named its medical director, with the rank of major, in June 1862. Letterman is credited with revolutionizing battlefield medicine, and his work as both a physician and manager was essential in bringing care of the wounded up to standard after the early battles exposed the army’s shocking unpreparedness to care for its casualties. Letterman systematized treatment, adopting the triage system for categorizing the severity of wounds. He also made sure that the doctors and medical staff were as close to the battlefield as possible, and he created mobile field hospitals. Letterman’s reforms made a great difference, but the medical staff was always fighting a losing battle against mass casualties on the battlefield and the prevalence of disease in camp.
Topic:
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair  Search this
Costume\Headgear\Military  Search this
Nature & Environment\Plant\Tree  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this
Architecture\Building\Tent  Search this
Nature & Environment\Animal\Dog  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Nature & Environment\Plant\Grass  Search this
Exterior\Forest  Search this
Exterior\Military Camp  Search this
Unidentified Men: Male  Search this
Jonathan Letterman: Male  Search this
Jonathan Letterman: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Civil War  Search this
Jonathan Letterman: Medicine and Health\Physician  Search this
Jonathan Letterman: Military and Intelligence\Army\Army physician  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.78.98
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm455693f81-37b5-4296-8aff-21e6cd6681a8
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.78.98