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Soldier I is a 2-run, 2-color photogravure / direct gravure merging historical documentation with contemporary intervention, creating a layered narrative of Black soldiers’ overlooked contributions to the US Civil War. The subject of Soldier I is a striking portrait from the Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress. The original sixth-plate tintype, dating from 1863 to 1865, captures an unidentified Black soldier, dressed in a Union uniform and armed with a bayoneted musket. This historic image, already rich with significance, is reinterpreted through Gatson’s hand-drawn direct gravure overlay of green brush strokes. By ensuring the soldier’s face remains fully visible, Gatson honors the subject’s presence, reclaiming the dignity and agency often stripped from Black figures in historical imagery.
