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This is a photograph of a corridor with barred doors and rough, unfinished floors. The image shows a series of cells or holding areas along a narrow passageway constructed with brick walls and wooden beams. The rough floor appears to be made of dirt or irregular paving stones, and there are visible shadows suggesting the natural light entering the space. The photograph is bordered in orange, with text indicating it is related to the Civil War period, specifically mentioning "THE WAR FOR THE UNION" and referencing a "SLAVE PEN, ALEXANDRIA VA" at the bottom.
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This is a photograph of a corridor with barred doors and rough, unfinished floors. The image shows a series of cells or holding areas along a narrow passageway constructed with brick walls and wooden beams. The rough floor appears to be made of dirt or irregular paving stones, and there are visible shadows suggesting the natural light entering the space. The photograph is bordered in orange, with text indicating it is related to the Civil War period, specifically mentioning "THE WAR FOR THE UNION" and referencing a "SLAVE PEN, ALEXANDRIA VA" at the bottom.

National Gallery of Art · Photograph

"Slave Pen, Alexandria, Virginia"

Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries, E. & H.T. Anthony

Date
c. 1862
Medium
stereoscopic albumen silver print
Dimensions
image (each): 8 × 7.9 cm (3 1/8 × 3 1/8 in.) sheet: 8 × 15.8 cm (3 1/8 × 6 1/4 in.) mount: 8.9 × 17.8 cm (3 1/2 × 7 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Accession number
2023.39.1
Credit line
Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection, Purchased with support from the Ford Foundation
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CPH
Original NGA record

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • albumen silver print
  • Prison
  • Interior
  • Civil War
  • military
  • Virginia
  • Stereograph
Provenance

Ross Kelbaugh, Marriottsville, MD; NGA purchase, 2023.

Inscription

by unknown hand, top left and top right of mount in graphite: 16; along left edge of mount printed in black ink: THE WAR FOR THE UNION.; along right edge: PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY.; by unknown hand, bottom center of image: 2297; bottom left of mount in graphite: SLAVE PEN, ALEXANDRIA, VA; on verso, by Ross Kelbaugh, top right in graphite: 22.6.RJL / AF07A; center printed in black ink: WAR VIEWS, / Slave Pen, Alexandria, VA / No. 2296. 97-98-99-2800 / PUBLISHED BY E. & H. T. ANTHONY & CO., / American and Foreign Stereoscopic Emporium, 591 Broadway, New York. / Negative by Brady & Co., Washington.

NGA object ID 227019. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.