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Summary: Alexander Gardner’s images helped define the way many Americans would come to know the Civil War. “Harvest of Death,” published in Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War in 1866, was taken July 1, 1863, near McPherson Woods in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and shows many bodies of dead Union troops. It is one of the first images ever to show dead soldiers on the field of battle. Gardner wrote of this image: “It shows the blank horror and reality of war, in opposition to its pageantry. Here are the dreadful details! Let them aid in preventing another calamity falling upon the nation.” [Alexander Gardner] Photograph taken by Timothy H. O’Sullivan and printed by Alexander Gardner, Gettysburg, PA, July 1, 1863. Inventory# 21499 $5,600 Historical Background:
Alexander Gardner is much-less known than the celebrated Mathew Brady, but he took many of the iconic images that appeared under Brady’s name. Born in Scotland, Gardner came to America to work for Brady in 1856, and managed Brady’s Washington, D.C. studio. At the outbreak of war, Brady and Gardner were well acquainted with Lincoln and many Union generals and had no difficulty obtaining permission to accompany the armies and capture the history of the war as it happened. Garner became a staff photographer under General George B. McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac. He was bestowed the rank of captain and photographed many of the haunting images to come out of the Battle of Antietam. When Lincoln dismissed McClellan as commander, Gardner’s role as staff photographer was diminished. Also at that time, Gardner’s business relationship was ending with Brady, probably due to the fact that all his photographs were attributed to Brady. Gardner broke out on his own in 1863 and went on the photograph the Battles of Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and the Petersburg siege. Gardner also took the last image of Lincoln, four days before his assassination. Alexander Gardner (1821–1882) was one of the most important photographer’s to document the Civil War. He worked for Brady for seven years before setting up his own business. Gardner is credited with taking some of the most well-known images of the war. He also documented Lincoln’s funeral and was the only photographer permitted at the executions of Lincoln’s assassins. Mathew Brady (1822–1896) was the best known and most gifted American photographer of the mid-nineteenth century. He won numerous awards in international competitions and was famous throughout Europe as well as America. He later became known as “Lincoln’s photographer.” Brady became the photographer of presidents, governors, literary men, millionaires, and foreign dignitaries. Reference:
Bleiler, E.F. Introduction to Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War.
New York: Dover Publications, 1959.
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