Scouts and Guides to the Army of the Potomac
October 1862
Medium
Albumen print, pl. 28 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866)
Dimensions
17.7 × 22.9 cm (7 × 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
photograph
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
196401
Art Historical Context
Alexander Gardner's *Scouts and Guides to Army of the Potomac*October 1862) offers a poignant glimpse into the American Civil War, capturing a group of rugged scouts and guides essential to Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Taken amid the Maryland Campaign, just after the bloody Battle of Antietam, this albumen print from Gardner's landmark 1866 publication, *Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, Volume 1*, plate 28, immortalizes these unsung heroes who navigated treacherous terrain, gathered intelligence, and ensured safe passage for troops. As a pioneering ph...
About the Artist
Alexander Gardner
Alexander Gardner was born on 17 October 1821 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and came of age in a culture shaped by radical social thought. Influenced by the cooperative ideals of Robert Owen, Gardner initially apprenticed as a jeweler and harbored dreams of founding a utopian community in America. His encounter with photography changed the course of his life. After seeing Mathew Brady's cele...