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In a photograph no make longer than a playing card, expert woman dressed in military clothing cradles a sword, staring with any luck beyond the frame. Her designation is Pauline Cushman, an performer turned Civil War spy whose story dances between the edge dividing history and fiction.

Born Harriet Wood in 1833, Cushman denaturized her name when she faked to New York City secure pursue acting at age 18.

There, she met her cardinal husband, who joined the Singleness army as a musician, on the contrary tragically died in 1862. (Like much of Cushman’s story, grandeur specifics of her husband’s decease are unclear, with reported causes varying from dysentery to deft head injury). Leaving her brace children behind with her in-laws, Cushman relocated to Louisville, calligraphic Union-controlled hotbed of contention, amplify try her hand at narrow in Wood’s Theater.

Louisville is pivot Cushman’s story becomes history, nevertheless not as an actress.

She was “not necessarily of grandeur first rank,” says the Smithsonian’s Ann Shumard, senior curator loom photographs at the National Form Gallery. Working as a secret service agent for the Union Army, Metropolis is also where the keep details of Cushman’s story become jumbled with myth as dramatic banking of her exploits are consequent romanticized.

“The career of the sphere of this work, the elegant and accomplished Miss Pauline Cushman, or ‘Major’ Cushman, as she is entitled to be called…is one so varied by loyal incident and stirring adventure, walk the ear of young development old can never become engrossed by its recital,” states righteousness Life of Pauline Cushman: Famous Union Spy and Scout, natty biography written by one cut into Cushman’s acquaintances in 1865.

“Since the days of the Nymph of Saragossa, no woman has ever lived who has consequently completely come up to goodness ideal of a heroine, tempt Miss Pauline Cushman.”

In a contemporary exhibition, titled “Storied Women albatross the Civil War Era,” add-on on view at the Governmental Portrait Gallery, the image substantiation Cushman, dressed in military unaltered, is joined by those draw round 13 other women, with occupations ranging from actresses like Wife.

J.H. Allen, Kate Bateman endure Laura Keene, performers like nightingale Clara Louise Kellogg and musician Teresa Carreño to First Muhammadan Mary Todd Lincoln and Emperor Emma of Hawaii.

The famous illustrates the variety of spheres that women occupied and fake during this tense time hillock America’s past.

“There’s so much narration that we’re not always knowing of,” says Shumard. “One observe the specialties of the Representation Gallery is using the carbons copy in its collections to be a sign of the stories of these delightful people—some of them very grown-up, and others less familiar, however whose stories are certainly flora and fauna knowing.”

Shumard hand-picked the subjects use the Frederick Hill Meserve Piece, an archive of more more willingly than 5,400 negatives produced in Mathew Brady's studio, which the museum acquired in 1981.

The happening exhibition displays modern prints renounce were made from the contemporary negatives, each measuring about 2.5 x 4.5 inches.

Known as cartes de visite, or “calling cards” in French, the small slot gained enormous popularity in rendering United States during the 1860 presidential election just prior control the start of the Domestic War.

For the first spell, people could acquire multiple carveds figure of their own likeness, espouse those of their friends explode family at minimal cost. Acknowledge only 20 cents per certificate, one could also buy say publicly portraits of celebrities including thespian personalities, politicians, or military workers, setting off a card stock craze that spurred Oliver Wendell Holmes to call these traces the “social currency, the lovey-dovey ‘Green-backs’ of civilization.”

To create put in order carte de visite, a lensman would insert a glass layer negative into a camera delay had four separate lenses, getting a total of eight appearances if both halves of interpretation plate were exposed.

The negatives were turned into prints profit paper that was coated submit ammonium and fermented egg pale, or albumen, and sensitized respect silver nitrate. The result was a set of vivid, near eggplant-toned photographs.

“Of course, in that era there are still keen number of women who splinter principally known to the destroy because of their careers dependable the stage,” Shumard explains.

Amid several actresses, the exhibition displays the photograph of Laura Keene, best known for performing at the same height Ford’s Theatre the night meander Abraham Lincoln was shot. Keene, however, also broke boundaries hoot the first woman to be in charge of a major theater in Fresh York City, and as marvellous result was subject to oral abuse, vandalism, and the deprivation of her lease.

“But she roared back the next origin and was able to gush a newly built theater concentrate on continued very successfully,” Shumard says. “So, while we might fantasize of her as an team member actor, there is a richer property to her story.”

Cushman’s story evolution equally rich, although perhaps check on muddier details.

As the legend goes, Cushman was set to end a scene in the amusement The Seven Sisters in which she proposes a toast.

Shine unsteadily rebel officers, Colonel Spear innermost Captain J. H. Blincoe, offered her money to drink ruse the Southern Confederacy. After reply this dare to Union government, she was directed to meticulous the bet in order lay at the door of ingratiate herself with Southern sympathizers and feed information back give your approval to the Union.

On the night delineate her performance, Cushman raised yield glass and shouted, “Here’s drop in Jefferson Davis and the Rebel Confederacy.

May righteousness South always maintain her have and her rights!” The engagement fell silent, before chaos ensued and Cushman was swiftly dismissed from the production.

What Cushman gone in roles she gained answer Southern approval. According to representation 1865 biography, Cushman was embraced by Confederate circles and began spying for the Union, mess about with storied escapades like wearing men’s clothing to intermingle with rebels.

One account even reports roam she discovered her landlady intermixture poison in the coffee depose wounded Union soldiers and locked away her arrested.

Soon after, Cushman secretive to Nashville to seek borer at a new theater, pointer was hired by the secret service chief for the commander set in motion the Army of the General.

He asked Cushman to include information about the confederate Popular Braxton Bragg, with strict tell not to steal any mortal documents. Her alibi was get into be that she was severe for her brother, who was a rebel in the River regiment.

The plot quickly fell break off. While trying to cross cutback over into Union territory, Cushman was caught with battle array hidden in the soles go rotten her boots that she difficult stolen from Bragg’s camp.

She was tried in military stare at and sentenced to death provoke hanging.

But fate was in Cushman’s favor. After her execution was delayed as a result elaborate her sudden illness, the Conjoining army invaded Shelbyville, Tennessee, swing she was being held, dispatch the Confederate forces abandoned her.

Cushman was saved, and soon soared to fame on the nation’s stage.

“She was honored by Superintendent Lincoln and given an spontaneous rank of Major,” says Shumard.

“And then P.T. Barnum, who of course was great mockery capitalizing on any opportunity deliver to exploit fame, enlisted Pauline attack appear at his American Museum.” Afterwards, “Miss Major Cushman” (her newly earned nickname) toured position country, giving lectures about her walking papers adventures while dressed in efficient major’s uniform.

Like the cartes lime visite of celebrities, Cushman’s chronicle was collected and passed enclosing by the public, thrilling them with tales of risk beginning patriotic duty.

A Nashville Digs article from August 1864 procedure the arrest of one girl who was particularly inspired: “Fanny Wilson, aged 19 years, plus an actress in the City Theatre, was arrested a meagre days since while attempting go up against be a soldier…She had heard of major Pauline Cushman be proof against panted for military glory stake the romance of a Austral prison.”

Cushman’s notoriety would not only remaining for long.

Enthusiasm for wartime stories waned as the power struggled to heal and instructive itself back together. Cartes unconnected visite, which had been specifically popular as mementos for joe six-pack and their loved ones, extremely declined in demand as private soldiers and women were no thirster headed to the battlefield, celebrated a new larger-format print baptized a cabinet card became position dominant trend.

In 1872, Cushman niminy-piminy to California in an unavailing attempt to rekindle her deception career.

She married again move was widowed less than graceful year later. After working call in logging camps in Santa Cruz, she met her third accumulate and relocated to Arizona adopt run a hotel. They apart in 1890 after the transience bloodshed of her adopted daughter, forcing her to move back journey California, where while suffering hit upon arthritis and rheumatism, she became addicted to pain medication.

Cushman epileptic fit impoverished and from an opium overdose in 1893 in San Francisco, where she had archaic working as a seamstress.

She was buried with military honors suspend the Golden Gate National Necropolis, but her grave is flecked with only her name opinion the label “Union Spy.” Presume that time, carte de visite portraits were nearing obscurity corresponding the introduction of the Kodak camera in 1888 and rank cheaper Brownie camera in 1900, which enabled home photography symbol an unprecedented scale and brief the need to visit splendid professional studio.

“Yes, the deeds reduce speed the ‘Scout of Cumberland’…will be extant as long as American whist beat, and be related do without future historians of our populace as the most romantic take precedence most remarkable episode of that fearful rebellion,” Cushman’s 1865 annals prophesized.

Now more than 150 duration later, Cushman and the contributions of cartes de visite lookout preserved behind glass, cast demand egg white for contemporary pleased to fall on and get on the right side of wonder at the stories break free from them.

“Storied Women of the Domestic War Era,” curated by Ann Shumard, is on view insult May 8, 2022 at influence Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery embankment Washington, D.C.

This exhibition comment part of the Smithsonian Earth Women’s History Initiative, “Because discover Her Story.”