| | | Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War
(1866)
During the American Civil War (1861-1865) vast numbers of photographs were taken but there are few illustrated works as well known as highly regarded as Gardner‘s Photographic Sketchbook of the War compiled by Alexander Gardner. The two volume album contained 100 albumen prints in total with 50 tipped in plates in each volume accompanied by a descriptive text possibly by Alexander Gardner. The book was published by Philp & Solomons (Washington) in two editions, one thought to have been published in 1865 and the other in 1866. More recent research by Anne E. Peterson (Curator of Photographs, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University) now indicates that both editions came out in 1866.
Within public collections the same plate can have different photographers assigned to it and a level of confusion can occur. This is partly because of the way the work was created with the negative being taken by one photographer, the print made by another and the copyright registered by a third. The text printed on the first plate "Marshall House, Alexandria, Virginia" highlights this:
"Negative by Wm. R. Pyrell. August 1862. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1865, by A. Gardner, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Columbia. Incidents of the War. Marshall House, Alexandria, VA. Published by Philp & Solomons, Washington. Positive by A. Gardner, 511 7th St., Washington"
These original records are not always accurate and to find the actual photographer who took the negative it is advisable to check with:
E.F. Bleiler (1959) Gardner‘s Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War (New York, Dover Publications)
The solid introduction by E.F. Bleiler and reproductions of all the plates makes this the most authoritative source on this series. Where there are discrepancies between different sources I have attempted to highlight them but I always welcome additional research to ensure accuracy and completeness.
The exact number of copies of the Photographic Sketchbook of the War sold is not known but is thought to be between 125 and 200 copies and there are complete sets at George Eastman House and Cornell University Library both of which have copies on the Internet. Because there was no way of printing the photographs directly onto the pages the 100 photographs for each set were made individually and then affixed to the pages. This was both laborious and expensive and the two volume sold for $150 a set when they were published in the 1860s a vast sum of money at the time.
| List of plates at George Eastman House |
| 1 | Pywell, Wm. R. | Marshall House, Alexandria, Virginia. |
| 2 | Pywell, Wm. R. | Slave Pen, Alexandria, Virginia |
| 3 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Fairfax Court-House |
| 4 | Barnard & Gibson | Stone Church, Centreville, Va. |
| 5 | Barnard & Gibson | Fortifications on Heights of Centreville, Virginia. |
| 6 | Barnard & Gibson | Quaker guns, Centreville, Virginia. |
| 7 | Barnard & Gibson | Ruins of Stone Bridge, Bull Run. |
| 8 | Barnard & Gibson | Mathews‘ House, Battle-Field of Bull Run. |
| 9 | Barnard & Gibson | Ruins at Manassas Junction. |
| 10 | Barnard & Gibson | Manassas Junction. |
| 11 | Barnard & Gibson | Fortifications at Manassas |
| 12 | Wood & Gibson | Battery No. 1, Near Yorktown, Virginia |
| 13 | Wood & Gibson | Battery No. 1, Near Yorktown, Virginia |
| 14 | Wood & Gibson | Battery No. 4, Near Yorktown, Virginia |
| 15 | Wood & Gibson | Moore House, Yorktown, Virginia |
| 16 | Wood & Gibson | Inspection of Troops at Cumberlanding, Pamunkey, Virginia. |
| 17 | Woodbury, D.B. | Military Bridge, Across the Chickahominy, Virginia. |
| 18 | Gardner, James | Ruins of Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia. |
| 19 | Gardner, Alexander | Antietam Bridge, Maryland |
| 20 | Gardner, Alexander | Burnside Bridge, Across Antietam Creek, Maryland |
| 21 | Gardner, James | Dunker Church, Battle-Field of Antietam, Maryland |
| 22 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Signal Tower on Elk Mountain, Maryland, Overlooking battlefield of Antietam. |
| 23 | Gardner, Alexander | President Lincoln on Battle Field of Antietam |
| 24 | Gardner, Alexander | Scene in Pleasant Valley, Maryland. |
| 25 | Gardner, Alexander | Pontoon Bridge Across the Potomac, at Berlin. |
| 26 | Gardner, James | Meeting of the Shenandoah and Potomac at Harper‘s Ferry |
| 27 | Gardner, Alexander | What Do I Want, John Henry? |
| 28 | Gardner, Alexander | Scouts and guides to the Army of the Potomac. |
| 29 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Lacy House, Falmouth, Virginia |
| 30 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Fredericksburg, Virginia |
| 31 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Battery D, Fifth U. S. Artillery, in Action, Fredericksburg, Virginia. |
| 32 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Pontoon Bridge across the Rappahannock. |
| 33 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Evacuation of Aquia Creek. |
| 34 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Group of Confederate Prisoners at Fairfax Court-House. |
| 35 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. |
| 36 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | A Harvest of Death, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
| 37 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Field where General Reynolds Fell, Gettysburg |
| 38 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Interior of Breastworks on Round Top, Gettysburg. |
| 39 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Gateway of Cemetery, Gettysburg. |
| 40 | Gardner, Alexander | A Sharpshooter‘s Last Sleep, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
| 41 | Gardner, Alexander | Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter, Gettysburg. |
| 42 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Trossell‘s House, Battle-Field of Gettysburg |
| 43 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Head-Quarters Major General George C. Meade, During the Battle of Gettysburg. |
| 44 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Slaughter Pen, Foot of Round Top, Gettysburg. |
| 45 | Gardner, Alexander | Studying the Art of War, Fairfax Court-House. |
| 46 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Provost Marshall‘s Office, Aquia Creek. |
| 47 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Castle Murray, near Auburn, Virginia. |
| 48 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Culpepper, Virginia. |
| 49 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | General Post-Office, Army of the Potomac, Brandy Station, Virginia. |
| 50 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | The Halt |
| 51 | Gardner, James | The Shebang, or Quarters of U. S. Sanitary Commission, Brandy Station. |
| 52 | Gardner, James | Residence of Chief Quartermaster Third Army Corps, Brandy Station. |
| 53 | Gardner, James | Headquarters Christian Commission in the Field. |
| 54 | Gardner, James | Field Hospital, Second Army Corps, Brandy Station. |
| 55 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Guard Mount, Head Quarters Army of the Potomac. |
| 56 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Head-Quarters New York Herald, Army of the Potomac, Bealton |
| 57 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Camp Architecture, Brandy Station, Virginia. |
| 58 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Pontoon Boat, Brandy Station, Virginia. |
| 59 | Gardner, James | Battery A, Fourth U. S. Artillery, Robertson‘s Brigade. |
| 60 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Head-Quarters Army of the Potomac, Brandy Station, Virginia.
| | 61 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Commissary Department, Head-Quarters Army of the Potomac. |
| 62 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | U. S. Military Telegraph Construction Corps. |
| 63 | Gardner, James | Breaking Camp, Brandy Station, Virginia. |
| 64 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Wagon Park, Brandy Station, Virginia. |
| 65 | Gardner, Alexander | Jericho Mills, North Anna, Virginia. |
| 66 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Chesterfield Bridge, North Anna, Virginia. |
| 67 | Gardner, Alexander | Quarles‘ Mill, North Anna, Virginia. |
| 68 | O‘Sullivan, T.H. | Charles City Court-House, Virginia. |
| 69 | Gardner, James | Pontoon Bridge Across the James. |
| 70 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Army Repair Shop |
| 71 | Reekie, John | Aiken House on Weldon Railroad, Virginia |
| 72 | Reekie, John | Medical Supply Boat, Appomattox Landing, Virginia. |
| 73 | Knox, David | Field Telegraph, Battery Wagon. |
| 74 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Poplar Grove Church |
| 75 | Knox, David | Mortar Dictator, in Front of Petersburg. |
| 76 | Knox, David | A fancy group, in Front of Petersburg. |
| 77 | Knox, David | Army Forge Scene, in Front of Petersburg. |
| 78 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | "Three First Traverses on Land End, Fort Fisher, N. C." |
| 79 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | The Pulpit, Fort Fisher, N. C. |
| 80 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Johnson‘s Mill, Petersburg, Virginia |
| 81 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | View of the Petersburg Gas Works |
| 82 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | View on the Appomattox River, near Campbell‘s Bridge, Petersburg, Va. |
| 83 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Quarters of Men in Fort Sedgwick, generally known as Fort Hell. |
| 84 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | View of the Interior of Fort Steadman. |
| 85 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Blandford Church, Petersburg, Virginia |
| 86 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Interior view of the Confederate Line, at Gracie‘s Salient. |
| 87 | Reekie, John | Dutch Gap Canal, James River, Virginia. |
| 88 | Gardner, Alexander | Ruins of Petersburg and Richmond Railroad Bridge, Across the James. |
| 89 | Gardner, Alexander | Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia. |
| 90 | Pywell, Wm. R. | Old Capitol Prison, Washington. |
| 91 | Gardner, Alexander | Ruins of Arsenal, Richmond, Virginia. |
| 92 | Gardner, Alexander | View on Canal, near Crenshaw‘s Mill, Richmond, Virginia. |
| 93 | Reekie, John | Ruins of Gaines‘ Mill, Virginia. |
| 94 | Reekie, John | A Burial Party, Cold Harbor, Virginia |
| 95 | Reekie, John | Mechanicsville, Virginia. |
| 96 | Reekie, John | Extreme Line of Confederate Works, Cold Harbor, Virginia. |
| 97 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | Appomattox Station, Virginia. |
| 98 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | High Bridge Crossing the Appomattox, near Farmville, on South Side Railroad, Va. |
| 99 | O‘Sullivan, Timothy H. | McLean‘s House, Appomattox Court-House, Virginia. Where the Capitulation was Signed between Generals Grant and Lee. |
| 100 | Smith, W. Morris | Dedication of Monument on Bull Run Battle-Field. |
Enter | |
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