A Look Back at Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Gallery in 1863

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Here is a great old photo from 1863 showing Alexander Gardner‘s photo gallery at 7th and D. Click the image for a detailed version.

Alexander Gardner's Photographic Gallery, 7th & D Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Gallery, 7th & D Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

Source: Library of Congress

3 thoughts on “A Look Back at Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Gallery in 1863”

  1. I love all the business names and such- though I also love the guy sitting
    way up at the top on top of the sign…. There was a Thomas J Magruder who was
    a wholesale boots/shoes dealer at 398 D. The hotel at 396 D was run by Robert
    Rainey. As for the 2 clothing places the 1862 directory gave some options on
    7th – Bar & Brothers at 480, David A at 263, Leopold Gassenheimer at 385,
    and Judson H. Smith at 460.

    I originally though Sutlers was a business name but I found in that 1862
    that there were a number of business in the city selling Sutlers supplies. Hard
    to tell which it may have been. Augustus Gersdorff at 209 7th, John Martin
    & Co at 526 7th, and Aaron Weingarten at 512 7th. However, the most likely
    candidate may be Joseph TK plant & co that was 350 D north and 7th west.
    But that may be another corner. The 1864 directory lists the street number for
    Gardner’s as 524 7th west (at the corner of 7th and D according to his large
    advertisement which had “Photographic Gallery of the War” included).

    There were several booksellers and stationers in that area on 7th: Alexander
    Adamson at 478, Charles H. Anderson at 458, JS Brown & Co at 482, Thomas
    Hutchinson at 492, L. Prang & Co at 520, Richard Roberts at 337, Andrew
    Rothwell at 368, MD Russell at 525, and Virtue and Co at 488 & 1/2. But
    there was one that was even better William D. Shepherd at D north corner 7th
    west.

  2. 7th runs toward the left; D runs toward the right. A fair number of buildings still exist:

    – The tall bldg on the far-left

    – The two same-height 3-window bldgs along D

    – The taller one just by that fun-spoked chimney.

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