Commander Dahlgren - 1861
| Cartographer: | Harper's |
| Full Title: | Commander Dahlgren, U.S.N., and the Dahlgren Gun |
| Published: | 1861, New York |
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"Commander Dahlgren, U.S.N., and the Dahlgren Gun," issued April 20, 1861, New York, by Harper & Brothers. A lovely, fascinating original folio size wood block engraving showing Commander Dahlgren and his men, published in 1861, the year in American History that began the Civil War. Commander Dahlgren was the Commandant of the Washington Navy Yard, and in May of 1861, he said of his duties: "Besides the Yard, I have to hold the bridge next above, so some howitzers and a guard are there. It is from this direction that the rebels of the eastern shore may come. This Yard is of great importance, not only because of its furnishing the Navy so largely with various stores, but also as a position in the general defenses of the city.'' This wood block engraving shows Dahlgren at center, as well as a number of his men and engaged in shooting the Dahlgren gun. A website we found explains that "Lieutenant John A. Dahlgren designed this...gun combining greatly improved ballistic characteristics with a higher safety factor. Built after careful study of pressures generated within a gun barrel, the Dahlgren gun concentrated great strength around the breech, thereby permitting the development of a greater caliber without an increase in total weight." Features much detail in the engraving, uncommon for a wood block print.
Harper's Weekly was one of the major sources of news for many American households in the 19th century. A weekly publication, during the Civil War it employed dozens of artists in the field who would report back with artwork and news on the major events of the preceding week, which were then quickly translated by wood engravers into visual images for the newspaper. The result of this is a remarkable visual archive of topical events, including important battles, leaders, social events, city views, nautical views, maps, etc. These are "original wood block engravings" which many art institutions & museums recognize as artwork and collect - perhaps the best known examples are wood engravings by Winslow Homer and Thomas Nast. But there were many other very talented engravers who are still largely overlooked or unappreciated, making the collecting of these sorts of original 19th century images a largely unexplored field that is ripe for collectors.
In VG+ to near excellent antiquarian condition, with a bit of "see through" from the text on the reverse as always on these images (certainly not detracting). Sheet measures c. 11 1/8" W x 16 1/8" H. Image measures c. 9 1/2" W x 14 1/2" H.
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| Item #: | 57548 |
| Item Title: | Commander Dahlgren |
| Price ($US, shipping not incl.): | $40 |
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