Conceived and directed by Alexander Gardner, Photographic Sketch Book of the War is a collaborative project offering a visual record of the American Civil War. Gardner, a Scottish immigrant to the United States, led a team of eleven photographers who collectively produced 100 images capturing the conflict’s human and material toll. Timothy H. O'Sullivan contributed the largest share with 44 images, followed by Gardner himself with 17. James F. Gibson provided 13, James Gardner 10, George Barnard 8, and John Reekie 7. Other contributors included William R. Pywell (3), Wood (5), David Knox (4), David B. Woodbury (1), and W. Morris Smith (1).
Before the advent of photography, depictions of war often glorified battles and heroes, masking the brutal realities of conflict. The advent of photography during the Civil War, particularly through works like Photographic Sketch Book of the War , stripped away these illusions, offering an unflinching and sobering look at the consequences of military action, including the aftermath of key battles such as Antietam, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor.
Gardner’s vision melded image and narrative to create a powerful historical document. Themes of sacrifice, mortality, and resilience permeate the collection, while images depicting African American subjects and the remnants of slavery underscore the war’s transformative societal impact. His role as both organizer and contributor reflects a shift in attitudes towards photographic authorship. This shift coincided with the professionalisation of photography and a growing recognition of the artistic contributions of individual photographers.
Images such as A Harvest of Death by Timothy H. O'Sullivan and Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter by Alexander Gardner exemplify the collaborative effort behind the Photographic Sketch Book of the War. Both photographers captured stark, haunting landscapes where fallen soldiers become silent witnesses to the war’s brutality. These images achieve an elegiac quality, balancing raw realism with sober artistry, while highlighting the shared vision of Gardner and his collaborators.
Photographic Sketch Book of the War—issued in two volumes in 1866—was a commercial disappointment but later became a widely cited reference in Civil War photography. Subsequent exhibitions at major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Portrait Gallery, have sustained its visibility, while holdings at the Library of Congress and other archives serve as core resources for researchers.
