Quarles' Mill, North Anna, Virginia 1864

"Quarles' Mill, North Anna, Virginia" is a photograph by Alexander Gardner taken in 1864. It depicts a small wooden mill, powered by a waterfall, with the mill's structure partially obscured by lush greenery. The image, which now resides at the Art Institute of Chicago, is a poignant example of the genre of Civil War photography, capturing a moment in time during a tumultuous period in American history. Gardner, known for his documentation of the war, uses the still life of the mill to reflect upon the industrial realities of the war-torn South.