The National Gallery in Washington DC has acquired 35 photographs documenting the American Civil War, a collection described as "a seminal moment in the history of photography". The collection includes work by three photographers, Alexander Gardner, George N. Barnard, and Andrew Joseph Russell, who were directly involved in the conflict and captured events such as Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration in 1865. The acquisition adds to the National Gallery's collection of early US photography and indicates a serious commitment to fine art as a matter of history. The collection was acquired through gifts and private donations.