Artist
Alexander Gardner (American, born Scotland, 1821–1882)American, born Scotland, 1821–1882
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Group of Guides for the Army of the Potomac
- from Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1, plate 28
DateOctober 1862
PlaceUnited States
MediumAlbumen silver print from glass negative
DimensionsImage: 6 11/16 x 9 in. (17 x 22.9 cm)
Sheet: 6 11/16 x 9 in. (17 x 22.9 cm)
Mount: 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Sheet: 6 11/16 x 9 in. (17 x 22.9 cm)
Mount: 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Harry Reasoner at "One Great Night in November, 1995"
Object number95.279
Not on view
Explore Further
Department
PhotographyObject Type
photography brought the American Civil War to the public eye and consciousness
in an unprecedented way, the cumbersome equipment and processing was not yet
suitable for the battlefield. Instead, photographers like Alexander Gardner
documented the places changed by the war and highlighted the heroes who became
household names, such as Major Allan Pinkerton and his scouts and guides,
pictured here. These men of “iron nerve and indomitable perseverance,” as
Gardner called them, served as spies for the Union Army. Dressed in various
outfits in order to pose as Confederate soldiers or sympathizers, they gathered
intelligence for the Union cause.
Provenance[Charles Isaacs Photographs, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania]; purchased by MFAH, 1995.
Exhibition HistoryExhibited: "A Love Affair with Pictures: 25 Years of Collecting Photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," MFAH, Lower Jones and Masterson Galleries, October 14 - December 30, 2001.
"WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 11 November, 2012 - 3 February, 2013.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Printed in black, recto, under image: NEGATIVE BY A. GARDNER. Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1862, by Alex. Gardner, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Columbia. POSITIVE BY A. GARDNER. // INCIDENTS OF THE WAR. // GROUP OF GUIDES FOR THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, // BERLIN.
The photograph is not signed.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
Alexander Gardner
October 1862
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.1.28
Alexander Gardner
November 1862
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.1.25
James Gardner
July 1865
Albumen silver print from glass negative
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Alexander Gardner
May 1864
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.2.17
Alexander Gardner
April 1864
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.2.38
Alexander Gardner
April 1864
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.2.39
Alexander Gardner
April 1864
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.2.42
Alexander Gardner
April 1863
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.2.41
Alexander Gardner
May 1864
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.2.15
Alexander Gardner
July 1863
Albumen silver print from glass negative
2023.234.1.41