The Illustrated London News was one of the first newspapers to employ wood engravings on a wide scale. One of its artists was Frank Vizetelly (1830-1883); he covered the Civil War for British readers. Early on, he illustrated the war from the Union side but was later allowed to draw from the Confederate side. Artists like Vizetelly sometimes did more than draw, though. He acted as a messenger for Confederate General James Longstreet at the battle of Chickamauga. Vizetelly was also a staff aide for the Confederates at the battle of Fredericksburg and was present at Charleston, South Carolina, when it was besieged. Because of such personal involvement by artists, many engravings were not made by detached observers, but by active participants in history unfolding.

Frank Leslie (1821-1880) was another artist who began his career as an engraver in 1842 and eventually published his own newspaper, which he titled, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. The newspaper also covered the Civil War. Leslie used a large number of illustrations in his newspaper to increase circulation. Images from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper are well represented in Northern Virginia Images Collection, including several images from the German language edition of the newspaper.

Another popular periodical of the time was Harper's Weekly. It first appeared in 1857 and became one of the most important and influential periodicals in nineteenth century America, notably during the Civil War. Two prominent artists for Harper's Weekly during this period were Alfred Waud (1828-1891) and Thomas Nast (1840-1902). Engravings by both are included in Northern Virginia Images Collection. Waud was primarily assigned to the eastern front and covered the war from the Battle of First Manassas to the Confederacy's surrender at Appomattox Court House. Thomas Nast (who later became famous for creating the roly- poly figure in red we now know as Santa Claus) worked largely in New York for most of the war. One of the major exceptions to this was when he spent time in the Union camp during the Battle of Gettysburg. Nast's sympathies were for the Union side, which, naturally, bothered Southerners, who often sent threatening letters to Nast at the Harper's Weekly office. By and large, The Illustrated London News, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, and Harper's Weekly illustrated the Civil War from the Northern point-of-view.

Many of today's Northern Virginia residents only know the area as a population outgrowth of Washington, D.C. Despite this cosmopolitan reputation, it was largely farm country at the time of the Civil War through World War II. Few realize that the area was the frequent battleground for large contending forces. Yet, many of the areas that are depicted in the images still exist today but under much different circumstances. Some of the areas included in these images have undergone radical cultural changes as well. An Islamic Mosque now occupies Munson Hill, which Confederate forces occupied under General J.E.B. Stuart during early days of the war.