b. October 17, 1821; d. 1882
Alexander Gardner was a Scot who emigrated to the United States and was hired by Mathew Brady, for whom he photographed the American Civil War. However, Brady's practice of signing his employees' pictures did not meet with Gardner's approval, and after some years he left Brady's firm and opened his own gallery in Washington DC.
Unlike the somewhat contrived war pictures taken by Fenton, Gardner's are so factual as to be almost macabre. His book, "Gardner's two-volume Photographic Sketchbook of the War" (meaning the Civil War) was published in 1866. The following year he recorded the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. He also documented the execution of the conspirators against Lincoln, and Lincoln's funeral. In addition, he embarked upon making a collection of photographs of convicted criminals, for the Washington police force.
It should also be added, however, that amongst the genuine pictures of the war there appear to be a few which are contrived, further proof that whilst the camera cannot lie, the person behind it can!