EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBAlfred R. Waud Archive Featuring War Maps Used by the Famed Civil War Battlefield Artist
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
About Auction
LiveSep 8, 2017 - Sep 9, 2017
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (427)
- Lot Description
Lot features journal and several maps housed together in folder labeled "Boston Art Club" on front, with label on edge identifying the contents as "War Maps Used by A.R. Waud."
During the Civil War, publishers of newspapers and other periodicals in major cities, primarily in the North, employed a number of sketch artists who traveled with armies to draw the scenes that they witnessed. These sketches, most frequently pencil on paper with brief identifications of people and places, were then sent back by courier to the periodical publishers. The battlefield sketches received by the publishers were then copied by engraving artists onto wooden blocks, which were used in printing presses to illustrate printed articles covering the war. Unlike the photographers of the day, who were limited to capturing the aftermath of battles, the sketch artists had the advantage of recording what they were witnessing as the events occurred before their eyes.
Noted battlefield artist Alfred Rudolph Waud (1828-1891) was born and raised in London. Waud studied at the Government School of Design at Somerset House before immigrating to the United States in 1850. Upon his arrival, Waud worked primarily as a freelance artist until May of 1861 when he was retained as a sketch artist and special correspondent by the New York Illustrated Newspaper to report on the war. At the close of 1861, Waud joined Harper's Weekly, where he was employed through the end of the war. He continued to work for Harper's Weekly in addition to a number of other publishers following the war and his career flourished. While touring battlefields in the South in 1891, Waud died in Marietta, GA. The Library of Congress houses most of his original wartime sketches, with some remaining in private hands.
In the 1880s, the popular Century Magazine started publishing the narratives of Civil War veterans and retained a large number of sketch artists including Waud to illustrate the articles. They used interviews, photographs, and prior war-date sketches to produce accurate pictorial representations of the war. These illustrated accounts were incorporated into a large four-volume work entitled Battles and Leaders of the Civil War in 1881.
The portfolio contains the following material identified on the cover as being used by Waud during the Civil War:
Lloyd's Official Map of the State of Virginia From actual surveys by order of the Executive. Corrected and Revised by J.T. Lloyd to 1862, from Surveys made by Capt W. Angelo Powell, of the US Topographical Engineers of Gen. Rosecrans' Staff. Approx. 23.5 x 52.5 in. Below this is "N.B. This is the only map used to plan Campaigns in Virginia by Gen. McClellan."
Map of the Seat of War to Accompany the American Conflict. Hartford: O.D. Case & Co., n.d. [1866] 28 x 38.5 in.; full hand-coloring. [Greeley, Horace. The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-1865: its Causes, Incidents, and Results:... O.D. Case, 1866.] Rough. Tape repairs to nearly every fold, still separating. Nearly all paper seems to be there.
Sketches and notes, heavy paper 6 x 7.5 in. Dated April 3rd, 1851. Signed lower right "Alfred Rudolph Waud." Ink sketch of small boat to right, light pencil sketch of vessels of various kinds (steam, sail, etc.) with note "New York" and verso with pencil sketch of larger vessel ("Barque with main mast taken out of her"), and small sketch labeled "ship in a gale." The longer ink note: "At sunset looking towards sun the water has a greater contrast of light & dark than at any other hour - the flat face of the wave opposite you reflects the darkest part of the sky & close in the shore, the objects nearest the edge slightly, while that side of the wave that faces the level beams of the sun reflects the various tinges of the sky, about the sun on a line down from the sun all the waves are tipped with miniature sparkling suns. Of course looking the other way with the sun at your back it is vice versa. At this time the rigging & masts of ships come out very sharp, dark & distinct against the sky round the setting sun. IN drawing ships tho thing requisite is to have the rigging masts and all parts of ship draw distinct fine, particularly accurate especially in the little bits of shade, on which the effects of the hamper (?)[illeg]." Verso with a note about waves on a windy day.
Map with no title. Appears to be a military map of Virginia, 28.5 x 39.5 in., uncolored, with Spotsylvania CH near right side. Bottom note: "Ed. April 23rd, 1864." Mumford's Ford and Bridge near lower left corner; Rapid Ann Station near upper left; Chancellorsville upper right.
US Coast Survey. Map of Part of South Eastern Virginia. Approx. 21 x 28 in. Uncolored. Rough condition with at least one "panel" missing.
Part of a map of Warrenton (with that penciled on verso). No information on maker or date, but likely war-date. Roads highlighted in red, rivers in blue. This section about 20 x 35 in. About half appears to be missing, but what is present is good other than minor foxing.
Another section of similar map with Culpeper CH in center. Approx. 15 x 28 in. Same highlighting of roads and rivers.
Map of area surrounding Culpeper CH [VA]. Military map with "Ed. Oct. 15, 1863" lower right. 21 x 30.5 in. Extends to Sperryville upper left, Madison CH lower left, Fayetteville upper right, and Raccoon Ford near lower right. Generally good condition other than a bit of edge scuffing.
Military map of part of Virginia, with Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad running along left third of map. Mattaponi River to North, Pamunkey River near center. Hanover CH lower center and Hungry Sta. lower left. Pencil note lower left "Edit. May 2, 1864." Lower right margin cut away to neatline. 21.5 x 29.25 in. Minor foxing. Edge scuffing.
Section of map that was made to be joined to another section along right. Red and blue markings in wooded area. Top margin with "Position of troops at Chancellorsville" in same blue pencil as Union positions. 18.75 x 23.5 in.
Hand-drawn map of area around Frederick City on tissue, affixed to 9 x 11 sheet. Missing a piece out of left central area.
Manuscript book, "A History of the progress of Marine Architecture, from the earliest ages down to the present time." 51pp, approx. 8 x 10pp. Written on one side of each page, with a few inserts stapled or clipped to appropriate page. A number of pages have illustrations, suggesting that this is Waud's handiwork, but we can find no evidence of it ever being published. Plus 2 copies of drawings, one on 9.5 x 13 in. mount, of four people in a single-mast skiff in rough seas. The other 3.5 x 4.5 in. drawing on 9.5 x 12 in. mount of shipwreck, inset of cabin boy trying to flag down a rescue vessel. Lower left "Burns."
Condition
Varying conditions. Book on Marine Architecture is very good, other than some surface soil on a handful of pages. Maps generally rough, but each one is noted.
Eliminate the Hassle of Third-Party Shippers: Let Cowan's Ship Directly To You! If you'd like a shipping estimate before the auction, contact Cowan's in-house shipping department at shipping@cowans.com or 513.871.1670 x414 - Shipping Info
-
SHIPPING. At the request of the buyer, Cowan's will authorize the shipment of purchased items. Shipments usually occur within two weeks after payment has been received. Shipment is generally made via UPS Ground service. Unless buyer gives special instructions, the shipping method shall be at the sole discretion of Cowan's Auctions, Inc.. Cowan's is in no way responsible for the acts or omissions of independent handlers, packers or shippers of purchased items or for any loss, damage or delay from the packing or shipping of any property.
Eliminate the Hassle of Third-Party Shippers: Let Cowan's Ship Directly To You!If you'd like a shipping estimate before the auction, contact Cowan's in-house shipping department at shipping@cowans.com or 513.871.1670 x219
-
- Buyer's Premium
