This photo was referred to as “The Scourged Back” by abolitionists who used it to justify ending slavery. It is sometimes referred to as “Whipped Peter” or “Gordon” based upon different assumptions about the picture at different times in its history. Recent research suggests that the subject was named Peter. When an engraving of the image appeared in Harper’s magazine on July 4, 1863, it was attributed to the photographer William D. McPherson and his partner J. Oliver. Exactly who took the photo is impossible to tell. It was probably taken in April 1863.