Mrs. Greenhow and Daughter, Imprisoned in the Old Capitol, Washington

Art Historical Context

This poignant albumen silver print by Alexander Gardner, dated 1862, captures Mrs. Greenhow and her daughter during their imprisonment in Washington’s Old Capitol Prison amid the American Civil War., a pioneering Scottish-born photographer who worked with Mathew Brady, documented the war’s human toll with unflinching clarity. The albumen process—using egg whites to bind light-sensitive silver salts—yielded richly toned, detailed images that brought distant events into sharp focus for viewers back home. As a portrait from the Photographs department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work highlights the personal dimensions of conflict, blending maternal tenderness with the stark reality of captivity. Tags like “American Civil War,” “Women,” “Girls,” and “Portraits” underscore its role in preserving stories of those on the war’s margins, including imprisoned women and children. Such images humanized the era’s divisions, offering a window into the emotional and social upheavals of 1860s America. Acquired through the David Hunter McAlpin Fund in 1956, this piece exemplifies Civil War photography’s cultural importance: not just battlefield spectacle, but intimate testimonies that shaped public memory. Visitors, imagine the resilience in their gazes— a timeless reminder of war’s intimate costs.

About the Artist

Alexander Gardner · 1840–1882

Alexander Gardner was born on 17 October 1821 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and came of age in a culture shaped by radical social thought. Influenced by the cooperative ideals of Robert Owen, Gardner initially apprenticed as a jeweler and harbored dreams of founding a utopian community in America. His encounter with photography changed the course of his life. After seeing Mathew Brady's cele...