(Washington, D. C.: Philp & Solomons, 1866), 2 volumes, containing 100 albumen photographs printed by ALEXANDER GARDNER from negatives by HIMSELF, JAMES GARDNER, TIMOTHY O'SULLIVAN, DAVID KNOX, JOHN REEKIE, WILLIAM R. PYWELL, D. B. WOODBURY, W. MORRIS SMITH, BARNARD & GIBSON, and WOOD & GIBSON, each on a two-toned mount, the photographer's, printer's, and publisher's credits, and title, series title, date, and copyright in letterpress on the mount. Oblong folio, gilt-lettered morocco with gilt-decorative borders and the publisher's gilt monogram, expertly re-backed, all edges gilt; in a modern custom-designed cloth box with gilt-lettered spine (NYPL 121; Truthful Lens 68) (2)

Acquired by the present owner from Harry Lunn, circa 1976

A detailed report for each plate is beyond the scope of this condition report; those wishing condition reports on individual specific plates are welcome to contact the Photographs Department. The strength and richness of the tonality of the individual prints varies throughout the volumes, from good to generally excellent. Light silvering and occasional retouching are visible on some prints. Foxing is visible to varying degrees throughout the volumes, although this is largely confined to the plate mounts and does not often affect the images. Certain plates, especially those with light sky areas, exhibit uneven, faint streaking, likely due to the original mounting glue used on the reverse. As is typical, the last plate in each volume tends to be lighter in tonality than the rest. The binding is in generally very good condition, although the whole is rubbed at the extremities and the covers exhibit minor scuffing. Each volume has been expertly re-backed and re-jointed, and new endpapers and fly-leaves have been supplied. The text pages are sometimes creased, and there are occasional small tears. Specific condition notes include: Fairfax Court House - Along the right edge of the print, there is a 1/2-inch tear that likely occurred during mounting and has been repaired. Ruins of Norfolk Navy Yard - Along the lower edge of the mount, there is faint evidence of prior exposure to moisture. President Lincoln on Battle-Field of Antietam - Near the lower edge of the image are two small yellow deposits of indeterminate nature. Fredericksburg, Virginia - In the lower right corner of the image, there are dark matte deposits of indeterminate nature. Evacuation of Aquia Creek - There is a small yellow deposit in the sky area.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, the definitive collection of photographs of the American Civil War, is a landmark in the history of photography and in the history of the photographically-illustrated book.  Recognized from the first as a monument of its kind, the Sketch Book was praised by all of the early historians of the medium, among them Robert Taft, Beaumont Newhall, and Helmut Gernsheim, and it continues to be discussed as prototypical photojournalism today.  Comparing the Sketch Book photographs to the battle sketches that appeared regularly in Harper's Weekly during the War, Newhall observed,

'Gardner's dead sharpshooter, his long rifle gleaming by his side, is not imagined.  This man lived; this is the spot where he fell; this is how he looked in death.  There lies the great psychological difference between photography and the graphic arts; this is the quality which photography can impart more strongly than any other picture making' (The History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present Day, 1964, p. 71). 

The 2-volume set offered here represents the earliest state of the publication; all of the plates are on mounts with the series title 'Incidents of the War,' a reference to the series of individual photographs Gardner published and sold from 1863 on.  When the War ended in 1865, plans were then made to issue a selection of these photographs as bound volumes.  Anne Peterson, Curator of Photographs at the DeGolyer Library, postulates that the first volumes of the Sketch Book did not appear until early in 1866; at some point later that year, when the supply of plates on the 'Incidents of the War' mounts had been exhausted, sets were created with plates on new mounts that carried only the individual caption (cf. Anne Peterson, 'Alexander Gardner in Review,' History of Photography, Vol. 34, No. 4, November 2010, pp. 356-67).  Expensive to produce, the Sketch Book was available by subscription; although the projected edition may have been as large as 200, Peters💟on has, as of this writing, located evidence of only 70 sets made, 51 of which are in institutional collections.