Alma A. Pelot

Alma A. Pelot was a photographer known for documenting the critical early moments of the American Civil War. Pelot was active in 1861, capturing images related to the conflict's outset in Charleston Harbor. The surviving body of work indicates a highly focused, documentary practice concentrated on specific historical events.

Six photographs representing Pelot's work are held in museum collections, confirming the artist's historical significance. These photographs, noted for their direct engagement with military history, include subjects such as Hamilton's Floating Battery Moored at the End of Sullivan's Island the Night Before They Opened Fire upon Fort Sumter and multiple views titled The Evacuation of Fort Sumter, April 1861.

The historical and verifiable nature of these images has secured their preservation in major institutions, establishing their value as museum-quality photographic records. Works by Alma A. Pelot are represented in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because many of these 19th-century photographic prints reside in the public domain, they are often sought after for high-quality prints and historical reference.