The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-23
CAMERAS IN LEES CORPS.
SOLDIERS TAKE PICTURES AS ME-
MENTOES OF THE WAR.

ing Not as Keen as When the Ser
vice Was First Entered-SOme of
! the Things the Amateurs Like TO
Observation-Disclosures Take a Differ
! ent Line From the NOrthernerS.
They Differ i'm Their Opinions of
what Is Interesting.
| Taking pictures is a form of diversion
! soldiers of the Seventh Corps. Many of
| them have kodaks and other cameras, and
they have a big assortment of views they
have taken since they have been in the
service. Soldiers are seen everywhere with
their kodaks about the streets. They are
on the lookout for subjects, animate or
! inanimate. and many examples of anna
teur photography Will be taken or sent
away from Savannah.
Some of the ladies' who are here with
their husbands, officers or enlisted men,
in the corps, have the mania for taking
| pictures, and they also may be seen, from
| time to time, armed with their cameras.
| They find many views in the city and its
vicinity that they are glad to take, and
there are characteristic types among the
inhabitants that some like to snap.
Photography among the soldiers is a
| craze that sprang into existence soon aft
er they were mustered into the service.
IL f1ourished for long time but il is
SAID by the men that some of the first in
terest has died out. They have become
accustomed 10 army life, and things they
regarded at first as worthy of perpetual
ton upon cardboard have become so COM
mon as to be a source of disgust. Camp
existence has lost much of the glamour
of Its first trial. Besides, most that was
of interest in it has already been depicted
by means of the cameras of those inter-
ested in photography, and what might be
taken now would be no more than repe-
tition of what many an incipient artist
has already secured by simply pressing
the button.
There have been some rich tricks plaved
among the soldiers by those manipulating
the cameras. They have caught their com
rades when they least expected it. and all
sorts of poses and costumes have been
taken. Soldiers have had their pictures
taken an all stages of dress and undress.
They have also been taken i'm groups in
which they would not care to appear were
they at home or in places where they were
known These pictures In several in
stances have been sent to the homes of
those who figure as the principals, and they
nave been the means of giving the folks
at home an idea of army life that they
would not gain from the letters they re-
ceive. Tricks of this kind have not always
been thoroughly appreciated.
When the troops first went into camp
the soldiers began buying cameras. Much
was seen that was novel and interesting.
and they wanted pictures to preserve as
mementoes of the time spent in the army
Views of tents with their occupants out
in front of them, were about the most
common of the pictures taken. A favor
lite subject were the lines that were form
ed for mess. The soldiers thought it funny
that they all had to form in line and await
their turn to be supplied with the good
| things that are given them through the
| bounty of their Uncle Sam. Then there
were the troops at drill to be taken and
snap shots of officers of reputation The
men were always glad to get anything in
! this line, as they believe the pictures of
their leaders will be very interesting in
| time 10 come.
Since they have been in the service many
of the troops have been encamped on the
shores of some body of water. Fine oppor-
tunities for bathing were afforded, but
studies from the nude were also at hand
for the photographers. They got in their
work right along, and many soldiers have
had their pictures taken in their birthday
suits.
There has been something of a differ
ence in the views and subjects sought by
the amateurs of the various regiments
The men of the Southern regiments do
not find the same things Interesting them
as those of the Northern commands. This
is natural, the Southerners have been
seeing things since they have been in the
army that they have been accustomed to
all their lives. With the Northern troops
however, it is different. They have found
character types in the South that have
been new to most of them, and they have
experienced a delight in taking them
when possible, for their subjects. Those
who WELD the camera among the North
ern commands have all operated from time
to time on these types. Pictures of dar-
kies have been desired by the Northerners.
who see them at she South in greater pro-
fusion and with different surroundings
from those of the North. Views distinctly
sectional have also been taken by the
Northerners while the soldiers from the
South with a taste for Photographic work
have made sort of speciality of camps
and views of things peculiar to the localf-
ties in which they have been stationed.
A soldier was asked yesterday as to the
portion of men in a company that have
cameras. He answered that it has de-
creased from what ii was when thew were
all new to the service and the South. bur
that there are probably two or three men
in company, taking it as an average
who have kodaks. This means that there
are something like 800 soldiers who are
still taking pictures. Many of these are
officers, as they are better able than the
men to afford an indulgence in the pas
time.
There are not many of the solder anna
teurs who develop their own pictures
They take them to fho local t,bot oe,ra, -.
or send them away. This means a good
deal of extra work for the studios in sa-
vannah. As it is, the photographers have
about all they can do to take care OF the
additional business that has come to them
with the troops.
The views of Savannah buildings and
places OF interest viii prove great adj |
iaar Tor Ia. I'll