"A Sharpshooter's Last Sleep" – Haunting Civil War Photograph by Alexander Gardner

Introduction

A lifeless body lying on a plush earth with jagged rocks protruding from it, while light bleed frames the shot of the rifle just above the male’s upper torso, is the photograph I chose for this analysis paper. "A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep" is an image taken during one of, if not the most important time in American history. "A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep" is a part of the Incidents of the War series printed and partially photographed by Alexander Gardner. Alexander Gardner was an American Civil War photographer, most commonly known for his portraits of Abraham Lincoln. Gardner was born in October of 1821, in Scotland to an educated family. According to the New World Encyclopedia (NWE), Gardner’s interest in photography peaked in 1851 upon seeing Mathew Brady’s work on the American Civil War, sending him down the wormhole that is photography. He moved to the United States in 1856 and began working for Brady until 1862.

The Civil War Context

The Civil War was a pivotal conflict where the North fought to keep the Union together and for the freeing of slaves, while the South fought for secession and the continuation of slavery. Gardner split with Brady a year before the war officially began and began to follow General Ambrose Burnside, as well as General Joseph Hooker throughout various battles, according to the New World Encyclopedia. According to the Museum of Modern Art, "A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep" was shot at the Battle of Gettysburg, which had a casualty count of about fifty-one thousand deaths (MoMA, n.d.). The photograph captures the solemnity and devastation of war, offering a glimpse into the harsh realities faced by soldiers.

Technical Analysis

Alexander Gardner was an expert in the wet-plate process and invented the imperial photograph, involving a 17 x 21-inch albumen silver print (NWE, n.d.). When looking at "A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep," the yellowish tinge gives a hint of the albumen printing method used. Lighting appears to be from the afternoon sun, as there are no shadows casting to the side of any objects; rather, it seems the shadows are being cast downward. Gardner appears to have also used a shallow depth of field. With finesse as the foreground, background, camera left, and right are slightly out of focus, creating a vignette of blur that focuses the viewers’ attention on the focal point, which emanates between the lifeless body’s head and his rifle. The ISO speed of wet collodion, according to Fstoppers, is about 5, therefore pushing for slightly longer exposure times (Fstoppers, n.d.). The shutter speed for a wet collodion process is slow by today’s standards, but in the era of daguerreotypes, the shutter speed was considered fast. Since Gardner was photographing a lifeless body, he had the freedom of a longer exposure time, as the subject would not move. I believe that because of the longer exposure time and the way in which the plate was secured to the camera, the image has traces of light bleed around the edges, as well as degradation. This degradation adds a unique character to the image, a vignette created by time, of which no print is destined to be the same.

Composition and Symbolism

I feel Gardner had a great sense of composition as he placed the lifeless body on a third. The rifle acts like a sort of barrier that keeps the viewer from looking away. The rocks just above the lifeless body are placed on the upper thirds and are shaped like an arrow pointing downward toward the body. This holds true for all other debris in the shot; the rock on camera right pushes toward the center rock, which then points downwards, while the horizontal rocks on the left do the same. When looking at how the light sets up the shot, both the rock on the upper third and the body on the lower third stand out. The rock on top points downward to the focal point, where you see the male body and rifle illuminate out of the dark earth, as if he is trying to forewarn the viewer of the dangers of war. There also seems to be a pattern happening between the rocks in which they alternate angles. The body becomes a part of the alternating angles, insinuating that he too has been set in history’s stone. The pattern also reminds me of how teeth alternate angles as a way to cut through meats and plants. I believe the tonal range for its time is really good because it allows you to distinguish the different textures. The texture of the grass on the earth seems to be reaching up, trying to take the body into which it came.

Controversy and Ethical Considerations

Upon conducting this research, I came across many articles that criticized Gardner’s work, as well as that of many Civil War photographers. Criticism stemmed from the fabrication of many photos. In Scott Fink's article about Gardner’s "A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep," the dead male as well as the rifle in the photograph were brought into question, as the male is believed to be in another photo taken approximately 30 yards away (Fink, n.d.). Additionally, it was noted that the gun in the photograph is not a gun a sharpshooter would have used, suggesting that the original gun was likely taken by people after the battle as a memento. Therefore, it is alleged that Gardner fabricated the shots, moving both the body and guns 30 yards. As a result, this has brought into question all his other work, which then raises a larger issue about a photographer’s duty to uphold the truth. I feel that especially as a photojournalist, there is a higher degree of integrity that must be upheld in order to maintain trust with the viewer. This then brings into view society’s perception of photographs, where almost everyone believes them to be the highest form of truth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep" by Alexander Gardner is a powerful photograph that captures the haunting reality of the Civil War. Despite the controversies surrounding its authenticity, the image remains a significant piece of historical documentation, reminding us of the ethical responsibilities that come with photography. It challenges us to reflect on the nature of truth in visual storytelling and the impact of war on both individuals and society.

References

• Fink, S. (n.d.). Gardner’s A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep. [Article]
• Fstoppers. (n.d.). Wet Collodion Process. [Article]
• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). (n.d.). A Sharpshooter’s Last Sleep. [Exhibition]
• New World Encyclopedia (NWE). (n.d.). Alexander Gardner. [Article]