Shorpy is a photo blog that specializes in very old pictures, from the start of photography through the early 20th century.  Today they have a classic picture of the USS Monitor, after its battle with the CSS Virginia.

You can clearly see the scars of battle on the turrett, especially just to the left of the empty gun port.  During battle, the turret was rotated by steam power, so the two guns could always be brought to bear on the enemy.  Also notice the thickness of the armor on the turrett, best seen in the empty gun port.  The technology did not exist to cast a single iron plate of that thickness, so overlapping plates were used.  Forward of the turrett (farther away in the picture), you can see the sloping sides of the pilot house.  The captain was stuck in this tiny, armored space so that he could see out and drive the ship.  It had to be mighty lonely up there with guns firing at you.  In the distance past the pilot house is a typical sailing ship of the day.  Above the turrett is a shaded area. The awning would be taken down and stowed prior to battle.  You can also get a feel for how low in the water the monitors set.  They only had about a foot of freeboard (distance from the waterline to the deck).  This proved the Monitor's undoing, as it sank in rough waters off the Eastern coast.

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