print, photographic
Artist
Alexander Gardner
(American (born Scotland), 1821 - 1882)
Publisher
Philp and Solomons, Washington, D.C.
(American)
DateJuly 7, 1865
MediumAlbumen print
DimensionsOverall: 6 3/4 x 8 3/4 in. (17.1 x 22.2 cm)
Overall, Frame: 24 1/8 x 26 1/8 in. (61.3 x 66.4 cm)
Overall, Frame: 24 1/8 x 26 1/8 in. (61.3 x 66.4 cm)
ClassificationsPhotography
Credit LineGift of David L. Hack and Museum purchase, with funds from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., by exchange
Object number98.32.15
Terms
- U.S. Civil War
- Prisons
- Courtyard
Collections
On View
Not on viewLabel TextAlexander Gardner American, 1821–1882 clockwise from top left: Arrival on Scaffold, 1865 Reading the Death Warrant, 1865 Adjusting the Ropes, 1865 Sic Semper Sicariis (Thus Always to Assassins), 1865 Albumen prints (photographs) From the series Incidents of the War, Sic Semper Sicariis Published by Philp & Solomons, Washington, D.C. Roughly 1,000 people attended the execution of the conspirators in President Lincoln’s assassination. Most of the witnesses were soldiers, but they were joined by about 200 members of the general public, which included one photographer, Alexander Gardner. Arranged sequentially, his pictures document the last moments of the conspirators’ lives. For many Americans, these gruesome photographs provided comfort, visually confirming that Lincoln’s killers had been brought to justice. Gardner worked quickly, exposing at least 10 collodion negatives during the execution. He later selected four for publication on printed mounts, titling the group with the Latin phrase for “Thus always to assassins.” This is a rephrasing of the words allegedly shouted by John Wilkes Booth just after he shot the president, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” or “Thus always to tyrants.” Gift of David L. Hack and Museum purchase 98.32.11, .12, .13, .15
