Alfred R. Waud

Alfred Rudolph Waud (1828–1891) was a British-born American illustrator who became one of the most significant visual reporters of the American Civil War. Born in London, he trained at the Government School of Design and emigrated to the United States in 1850, where he began working as an illustrator in Boston. His early drawings for publications such as Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper displayed a keen eye for movement and composition. In 1861 he joined Harper’s Weekly as a special artist, covering the Civil War directly from the field. Waud sketched battles, camps, and marches as they happened, often under fire, and his drawings were engraved for publication to bring readers scenes from the front lines that photography could not yet capture.

Waud’s work became synonymous with realism and immediacy, defining how the American public visualized the conflict. He witnessed major battles including Antietam, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness, and his sketches remain among the most accurate artistic records of the war. After the conflict he continued to illustrate for Harper’s Weekly and other periodicals, turning his attention to postwar life and the expanding American frontier. Known for his disciplined draftsmanship and steady observation, Waud helped establish the tradition of the artist as eyewitness reporter. He died in Marietta, Georgia, in 1891, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of American visual journalism.