Custom House, Richmond, Virginia (after evacuation) 1861 - 1865

This haunting photograph of the Custom House in Richmond, Virginia, was captured by Alexander Gardner, amidst the aftermath of the city’s evacuation during the Civil War. Gardner, documenting the war, focused on the stark realities of battlefields and their lingering impact. In this image, the Custom House, once a symbol of federal authority, stands scarred against the backdrop of a defeated Confederacy. The ruins in the foreground speak volumes about the lives disrupted and the racial ideologies that fueled the conflict. Think about what this building represented, and what the Union victory meant for enslaved African Americans and the promise of Reconstruction. Gardner’s photograph is more than a historical record; it's a visceral representation of a nation grappling with its identity. It invites us to reflect on the emotional weight of such a divisive period. It calls us to remember both the destruction and the struggle for a more just society.