High Bridge crossing the Appomattox, near Farmville (on south side railroad, VA)
Alexander Gardner
American, born Scotland. 1821–1882
Timothy O'Sullivan
American, born Ireland. 1840–1882
1865
An albumen silver print by Timothy O’Sullivan that records the High Bridge over the Appomattox River, made to document the bridge’s immense scale and the provisional timber scaffolding of a crucial Civil War railroad crossing.
You’re first struck by the relentless rhythm of brick piers and crisscrossing wooden staging that recede into the distance, making the structure feel both monumental and precariously temporary beneath an open sky.
Shot in 1865, the image exemplifies early documentary photography’s role in preserving industrial and wartime landscapes, using the camera as a tool for surveying, evidence, and public memory of the Civil War’s impact on infrastructure.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
6 7/8 × 8 7/8" (17.4 × 22.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Anonymous gift
Accession
34.1941.98
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
