Ruins of Petersburg and Richmond railroad Bridge (across the James)
Alexander Gardner
American, born Scotland. 1821–1882
April, 1864
An albumen silver print photograph by Alexander Gardner that records the blasted remains of the Petersburg and Richmond railroad bridge, intended as a factual documentary of Civil War destruction.
Your eye is pulled along the rigid, repeating stone piers cutting across the river toward the fractured brick facade at right, the stark light and empty landscape giving the scene a cold, resonant silence of aftermath.
This image exemplifies Civil War photography’s role in establishing the medium as documentary evidence and shaping public memory by revealing the industrial and civilian toll of modern warfare.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
7 1/16 × 9 1/16" (17.9 × 23 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Anonymous gift
Accession
34.1941.88
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
