The Harvest of Death - Gettysburg, July 4, 1863
Artist
Unknown
Publisher
Harper's Weekly
(American, 1825-1916)
CultureAmerican
DateJuly 22, 1865
MediumEngraving
DimensionsOverall: 16 x 11 1/4 in. (40.6 x 28.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number98.15.6
Not on view
DescriptionThis is a wood engraving depicting a field where many soldiers have been shot and a wagon destroyed.Label TextAfter Alexander Gardner American, 1821−1882 and Timothy H. O’Sullivan American, 1840−1882 The Harvest of Death—Gettysburg, July 4, 1863, 1865 Printed in Harper’s Weekly, vol. 9, no. 447 (July 22, 1865) Wood engraving (print) Commercial photography grew rapidly during Lincoln’s presidency, and newspapers began to adapt the work of Alexander Gardner and his colleagues to illustrate current events. Long exposure times limited photography’s ability to record actual fighting, but cameras could easily capture the bloody aftermath, as seen here. This print is a composite image based on two separate photos from Gettysburg, Pa., created by Gardner and his assistant Timothy O’Sullivan. Although the engraver took some license when recreating the photographic imagery, the caption credits Gardner and uses one of his original titles. Museum purchase 98.15.6 Exhibition History"Sacred Sites, Then and Now: The American Civil War," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler museum of Art, May 1 - Sept. 6, 1998. "Shooting Lincoln: Photography and the 16th President," Chrysler Museum of Art, February 10 - July 5, 2015.Published ReferencesHarper's Weekly, July 22, 1865
