The Drop
Artist
Alexander Gardner
(American (born Scotland), 1821 - 1882)
Publisher
Philp and Solomons, Washington, D.C.
(American)
CultureAmerican | Scottish
DateJuly 7, 1865
MediumAlbumen print
DimensionsOverall: 3 1/2 x 7 in. (8.9 x 17.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of David L. Hack and Museum purchase, with funds from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., by exchange
Object number98.32.14
Collections
Not on view
DescriptionThe David L. Hack Civil War Photography Collection. This is a photograph of the Old Arsenal Prison. There are many guards lined up on the high wall in the background. In the center there is a wooden platform set up for an execution. Four people are seen to be hanging in the air by their necks with a noose. This is from _Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War_ (Hack Collection No. 324).Label TextAlexander Gardner American, 1821−1882 The Drop, 1865 Published by Philp & Solomons, Washington, D.C. Albumen print (photograph) At approximately 1:26 p.m., General John F. Hartranft clapped his hands three times. The trap doors opened and the four Lincoln assassination conspirators dropped to their deaths. Alexander Gardner used a two-aperture stereoscopic camera to record this moment. When viewed properly, the resulting dual-image print provides the subtle illusion of depth. The stereoscopic camera also had the advantage of requiring a shorter exposure time. Perhaps the photographer anticipated that the hanging bodies would swing and be difficult to capture on film. Gift of David L. Hack and Museum purchase, with funds from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., by exchange 98.32.14 Exhibition History"An Enduring Interest: The Photographs of Alexander Gardner," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., Oct. 20, 1991 - Jan. 5, 1992. "Civil War Photographs from the David L. Hack Collection and Civil War Redux: Pinhole Photographs by Willie Anne Wright," Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photo Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, February 3 - October 29, 2006; Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington, NC, February 15 - May 28, 2007; Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV, July 26 - September 21, 2008. "Shooting Lincoln: Photography and the 16th President," Chrysler Museum of Art, February 10 - July 5, 2015. Published ReferencesBrooks Johnson, _An Enduring Interest: The Photographs of Alexander Gardner_, exh. cat., The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., 1991, 128.
