Mrs. Greenhow and Daughter, Imprisoned in the Old Capitol, Washington 1862

This photograph, taken by Alexander Gardner in 1862, depicts Rose Greenhow and her daughter, imprisoned in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington D.C. during the Civil War. The image, a part of Gardner’s series "Incidents of the War", offers a glimpse into the lives of those caught in the conflict, particularly its impact on women. The somber mood and the setting underscore the hardships of wartime imprisonment. Gardner's image, like many of his works, aimed to capture the realities of the war, blending journalistic and artistic sensibilities.