Marshall House, Alexandria, Virginia
Alexander Gardner
American, born Scotland. 1821–1882
August 1862
An albumen silver print by Alexander Gardner that records the Marshall House hotel and adjacent storefronts in Alexandria, Virginia, made as a factual, documentary view during the Civil War era.
What hits you first is the sturdy three‑story brick corner of the Marshall House with its clear painted sign, set against a row of low shopfronts and a lone barber pole, the empty street and crisp sunlight lending the scene an almost clinical, archival clarity.
As an early example of war‑era documentary photography, this image shows how photographers used the new medium to record occupied towns and everyday buildings, helping to shape public memory of the Civil War and the power of photography as historical evidence.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
6 13/16 × 8 13/16" (17.3 × 22.4 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Anonymous gift
Accession
34.1941.1
Palette
Exhibitions
