New Book “Magnificent Intentions: John Wood, First Federal Photographer” Documents Building of Nation’s Capital in Pictures
Wood’s Photographs from 1856 to 1863 Chronicle Civil War Era Washington, D.C.
The work of John Wood, the country’s first federal photographer, has largely been forgotten by history. “Magnificent Intentions” sheds overdue light on his life and career with 160 photographs that reveal a national capital in progress and a country gripped by the Civil War. The new book is published by Smithsonian Books in association with the Library of Congress.
The book features photos of the construction of public buildings in D.C. including the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Aqueduct; the first panoramic photos of D.C.; the first inauguration photo, from James Buchanan’s inauguration in 1857; documentation of the Civil War and his innovative photographic copies of military maps; and the only surviving photo of Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration in 1861 that newly uncovered evidence suggests was taken by Wood.
“Magnificent Intentions” shows how innovative Wood was as a photographer. His methods and subjects were unusual at the time, making Wood a fascinating subject in the early history of photography. “Magnificent Intentions” is a celebration of Wood’s legacy and a critical look at a pioneer in early photography. It will be sure to delight anyone interested in art, architecture and photography history, but also reveals the federal government’s role in using the arts to depict and shape American society and culture.
While virtually unknown by scholars, Wood’s photographs remained largely unattributed, however major collections survived, largely in government repositories, said author Adrienne Lundgren, a senior photograph conservator at the Library of Congress. The bulk of the images that appear in “Magnificent Intentions” were from the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs and Manuscripts Division collections. However, his original collodion glass negatives, an incredible resource, still resided in the Photographic Branch of the Architect of the Capitol. A major collection of prints pertaining to the Washington Aqueduct was discovered in the archives at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Important images of Washington, D.C., were located in the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which subsequently and graciously donated them to the Library of Congress to ensure their long-term preservation and access. Key images documenting the Lincoln inauguration were found at the Library of Congress and the Philadelphia Athenaeum.
About the Author: Adrienne Lundgren is a senior photograph conservator in the Library of Congress Conservation Division. She earned her Master of Science in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware and has published on technical art historical subjects relating to photography. Her publications include essays or contributions to “Clarence H. White and His World,” “Platinum and Palladium Photographs,” and “Coatings on Photographs.”
“Magnificent Intentions: John Wood, First Federal Photographer (1856-1863)” by Adrienne Lundgren published April 30. The book was published by Smithsonian Books in association with the Library of Congress. It is available in the Library of Congress Shop and via booksellers everywhere. 216 pp., $55 U.S. / $73 CAN. ISBN: 9781588347619
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