[Alexander Gardner]. Full-length standing albumen CDV self-portrait. Washington, D.C.: Philp & Solomon's Metropolitan Gallery, [1863]. Publisher's imprint to mount verso. 

An outstanding, museum-grade CDV self-portrait of famed American photographer Alexander Gardner wearing a western-themed outfit borrowed from noted southwestern frontiersman William F. M. Arny. This is a top-tier example of an already rare portrait that would likely be impossible to improve upon. 

Gardner, a pioneering Civil War photographer, was often overshadowed by his notoriously self-promoting contemporary Mathew Brady. In recent years, Gardner’s almost unparalleled contributions to photographic history - especially the photographic history of the United States - have come into sharper focus, earning him the respect and admiration he deserves. 

Born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1821, Gardner moved to the U.S. in 1856 and worked for Brady as a photographer. He quickly rose through the ranks, eventually managing Brady’s gallery. When the Civil War began, Gardner documented key moments including the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam, where he took the first ever photos of battlefield casualties. These photographs are some of the most consequential military images ever made. His images of the war, including those of the battles of Gettysburg and Fredericksburg and the execution of Lincoln’s conspirators, became iconic.

Gardner’s notable work also included the last photograph of President Abraham Lincoln, taken five days before his assassination. After the war, he photographed the Union Pacific Railroad and Native American tribes. In 1871, he left photography to start an insurance company and lived in Washington, D.C., until his death in 1882.

The colorful Arny was a daring frontiersman and soldier who served as Indian Agent and then Territorial Secretary of New Mexico, appointed to both positions by President Lincoln in the early 1860s. A contemporary of Kit Carson, Arny is credited with helping keep local tribes loyal to the Union during the Civil War. In 1862, he visited the Lincolns in the White House, where he presented Mary Lincoln with a fine Navajo blanket. Arny turned heads with the outfit he wore about town, which reflected his notion of a "mountain man". Arny wore these Native American-style garments to bring attention to his work with industrious tribes such as the Ute and the Apache, for whom he advocated for more resources.

Like many notables of the time, Arny patronized Mathew Brady's photo studio while in Washington. During that visit, he let Gardner, who worked there, borrow the mountain man outfit for a portrait of his own. Of note is that the incredible Navajo blanket Arny presented to Mary Lincoln can be seen on the left of this image, draped over a chair. 

This superlative example, which appears almost untouched, bears the backmark of Philip & Solomon in Washington, D.C. Importantly, Gardner moved to this studio in 1863 and likely developed it there from his negative from Brady's gallery. The bearded Gardner appears proud in this photo, clad in Arny's beaver hat, heavily-fringed deer hide suit, and beaded moccasins. He also appears to be drawing a sword, or perhaps arrows, as he gazes off-camera. 

This visually striking CDV ranks as one of the most iconic self-portraits of one of the United States' most important photographers. Most extant examples, typically in lesser overall condition, are held in fine institutional collections. We are proud to offer this rare opportunity for acquisition of perhaps the finest example known. 

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