Photographing the Fallen: A Brief History

The Civil War
The War between the States was one of the first conflicts to be documented in detail by photojournalists. Their work changed the way war was perceived, for it showed in uncompromising detail the horrors of death in war and the unceremonious expediencies of battlefield last rites. In the above photo, a confederate spy is buried with his hat after his execution by Union soldiers.

• 90 Years of Battlefield Portraits
• Why Pictures of Soldiers' Coffins Are Necessary