Alexander Gardner: The Man Behind the Lens of History
Ever heard of Alexander Gardner? If you haven’t, you’re missing out on a fascinating figure who played a huge role in documenting some of the most pivotal moments in American history. This guy wasn’t just snapping selfies; he was capturing the raw, unfiltered reality of the Civil War, the stoic face of Abraham Lincoln, and the chilling aftermath of his assassination. Let’s dive into the life of this unsung hero of photography.
From Scotland to the States: A Journey Begins
Born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1821, Gardner had a humble start. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon, but he had a hunger for knowledge. He juggled being an apprentice jeweler with evening classes in everything from astronomy to chemistry. Talk about a well-rounded dude!
He even dipped his toes into journalism, working for the Glasgow Sentinel. But here’s where things get interesting: Gardner was inspired by the utopian ideals of Robert Owen, a Welsh socialist. He and his brother James decided to create a cooperative community in Iowa, a sort of semi-socialist "Utopia" in the American wilderness. Gardner became something of a promoter, luring friends and family with pamphlets promising a better life.
However, Gardner never lived there, choosing to return to Scotland to raise more money. At that time, his photography flourished in Paisley, and his expertise in the wet-plate process soon gained him recognition.
The Spark: Seeing Brady’s Work
Gardner eventually became the owner and editor of the Glasgow Sentinel. During a visit to London’s The Great Exhibition in 1851, he stumbled upon the work of American photographer Mathew Brady. It was a game-changer! Suddenly, Gardner was obsessed with photography, reviewing exhibitions and experimenting himself.
New Beginnings in America
In 1856, Gardner packed up his life and family – his mother, wife Margaret, and their two kids – and headed to the United States. Turns out, the Iowa utopia wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. After discovering several members were suffering from tuberculosis, he decided to settle in New York.
Working with the Master: Mathew Brady
Fate intervened when Gardner connected with Mathew Brady, the big name in photography at the time. Gardner became Brady’s assistant, specializing in those impressive, life-size, hand-tinted portraits that everyone wanted. As Brady’s eyesight started to fail, Gardner stepped up, managing Brady’s Washington, D.C., studio.
The Civil War: A Nation Divided
When Abraham Lincoln became president in 1860, the country was on the brink of civil war. Gardner found himself in a prime position to document the events unfolding in Washington, D.C. As the war raged, the demand for portraits exploded as soldiers wanted to leave a memento for their loved ones. Gardner became the go-to guy for these poignant images.
Documenting the Unthinkable
In 1861, Matthew Brady had an idea about photographing the Civil War with Gardner and soon dispatched over 20 photographers, including Gardner, to record the images of the conflict. Each man was equipped with a traveling darkroom to process the photographs on-site. As well as making battlefield images, Gardner also took photographs of troops and notables in the field. Frequently, Brady sold his images and those of his other photographers to illustrate newsweeklies.
Gardner had a knack for being in the right place at the right time (or maybe the wrong place, depending on how you look at it). His relationship with Allan Pinkerton, the head of what would become the Secret Service, helped him secure the position of chief photographer under General George B. McClellan. He even got an honorary rank of captain in 1861.
This put him in an excellent position to photograph the aftermath of America’s bloodiest day, the Battle of Antietam. On September 19, 1862, two days after the battle, Gardner became the first of Brady’s photographers to take images of the dead on the field. Over 70 of his photographs were displayed at Brady’s New York gallery. In reviewing the exhibit, the New York Times stated that Brady could “bring home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war. If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our door-yards and along streets, he has done something very like it…” Unfortunately, Gardner’s name was not mentioned in the review.
Stepping Out on His Own
Things weren’t always rosy between Gardner and Brady. Gardner felt he wasn’t getting the credit he deserved. So, in 1863, he struck out on his own, opening his own studio in Washington, D.C., with his brother James. He poached some of Brady’s best staff and continued documenting the war.
He organized his team and headed to Gettysburg to capture the aftermath of that horrific battle. He even had a run-in with Confederate forces, getting briefly detained. He also photographed the Siege of Petersburg. Gardner made sure his photographers got the recognition they deserved.
Lincoln: A Final Portrait
Gardner’s camera lens captured what is believed to be the last photograph of President Abraham Lincoln, just five days before his assassination. He also documented Lincoln’s funeral and the conspirators behind the assassination plot. He was the only photographer allowed to capture their execution.
Beyond the Battlefield
After the war, Gardner didn’t just hang up his camera. He photographed Native Americans who came to Washington, D.C., to negotiate treaties. He even got into a bit of a squabble with Brady over who deserved credit for the idea of a photographic history of the war. In the end, Congress bought both collections.
"Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War"
In 1866, Gardner published a two-volume work, Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War. Each volume contained 50 hand-mounted original prints. Not all photographs were Gardner’s; he credited the negative producer and the positive print printer. As the employer, Gardner owned the work produced. The sketchbook contained work by Timothy H. O’Sullivan, James F. Gibson, John Reekie, William Pywell, his brother James Gardner, John Wood, George N. Barnard, David Knox, and David Woodbury, among others. Unfortunately, his venture was a commercial failure as Americans were more concerned with forgetting the Civil War than looking at his views of ruined buildings, shattered bridges, and corpse-strewn battlefields. Today, this extremely rare work is hailed as a photographic masterpiece.
He was the first to compile a “rogues gallery” for the Washington D.C. police.
Westward Expansion
In 1867, Gardner became the official photographer for the Union Pacific Railroad, documenting the construction of the railroad in Kansas and the Native American tribes he encountered. He closed his studio then and went West, photographing the developing frontier. Visiting Arizona and working out of Abilene and Hays, Kansas, he produced 150 construction images on the Union Pacific Railroad for the line’s use in engineering and promotion work.
A Legacy Remembered
After 1871, Gardner gave up photography and helped to found an insurance company. In the late fall of 1882, with failing health, he died on December 10, 1882, at his home in Washington, D.C. His wife and two children survived him. He was buried in the local Glenwood Cemetery.
Years later, a photographer named J. Watson Porter rediscovered hundreds of Gardner’s glass negatives, sparking renewed interest in his work. Even today, Gardner’s photographs continue to move and inform us, offering a window into a pivotal time in American history.
A Bit of Controversy
It’s worth noting that some experts have pointed out that Gardner may have manipulated the settings of some of his Civil War photos, moving bodies and weapons to create a more dramatic effect. While this might raise eyebrows today, it was a common practice in the early days of photography.
Alexander Gardner wasn’t just a photographer; he was a visual storyteller, capturing the heart and soul of a nation in turmoil. His work continues to resonate, reminding us of the power of images to shape our understanding of history.