Impressive Massive Civil War Union Military Officer Poster Measuring 81 x 42 in.

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Autographs - Historic & Political Americana -...

By Early American History Auctions

Aug 21, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-08-21 12:00:00 2021-08-21 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Autographs - Historic & Political Americana - Militaria & Guns https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/early-american-history-auctions/autographs---historic-political-americana---militaria-guns-7321
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• Lot Description
  Civil War Prints
  Impressive Massive Civil War Union Military Officer Poster by Calhoun Company created most Buffalo Bill's Wild West
  Civil War Military Officer Color Poster, Huge image size 81" x 42", no date, Professional Archivally Mounted on Linen, Calhoun Printing Company, Hartford (CT.), Choice Extremely Fine.
  This highly symbolic patriotic, inspirational huge 81" x 42" Civil War Military Officer full Color Poster, was created shortly after the Civil War by the Calhoun company of Hartford CT. The Calhoun Steam Printing Company was in active business from about 1852 to November of 1908. They were also known for producing posters at the turn of the century for Buffalo Bill. No doubt this vibrant poster was used as an Advertising poster or having a multitude of other potential uses. These might include GAR reunions and other public social events, hence the lack of any specific identifying information other than identifying the printer, and likely meant to be customized when displayed. The Calhoun company also created most of the Buffalo Bill Wild West advertising posters. The black and white ones would often have specific location, dates, ticket prices, etc. but the more expensive color posters generally did not, and would be "customized" for each event posting. The massive image is of a standing Union officer apparently while leading a charge overrunning a cannon battery. One can speculate that the image depicts General Philip Henry Sheridan as a Captain, near the beginning of the Civil War. Others have suggested the image is of General George McClellan or perhaps Col. Robert Gould Shaw leading the famous 54th Massachusetts Black regiment at Fort Wagner.
  Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States' first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The film "Glory" depicts the soldiers of the 54th from the formation of their regiment to their heroic actions at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. Col. Robert Shaw volunteers the 54th to lead the attack.
  On November 3, 1852, an advertisement ran in the Hartford, Connecticut Daily Courant announcing the opening of the Calhoun Brothers Printing House, which operated "one double medium Adams' press for book printing; one double medium Hoe's cylinder press for newspapers [and] mammoth posters; one Super-Royal Taylor's cylinder press for programs, hand bills, [and] labels; one Magic cylinder press for printing endless paper; and one Card and Bill Head press for every variety of cards, bill heads, circulars."
  What the Calhoun Brothers (later Calhoun Steam Printing Company) excelled at were mammoth size theatrical billboards and panoramic scenes for Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Shows. When Calhoun died the firm was taken over by William H. Higgs, Cody's brother-in-law who rode a white mustang around the streets of Hartford.
  The 54th leads the charge on the fort, suffering serious losses. As night falls, the regiment is pinned down against the walls of the fort. Attempting to encourage his men forward, Shaw is killed by numerous gunshots. Trip, despite his previous assertion that he would not do it, lifts the flag to rally the soldiers to continue, but he too is soon shot dead. Forbes and Rawlins take charge, and the soldiers break through the fort's defenses. Seemingly on the brink of victory, Forbes, Rawlins, Searles, Sharts, and the two color sergeants are fired upon by Confederate artillery. The morning after the battle, the beach is littered with the bodies of black and white Union soldiers; the Confederate flag is raised over the fort. The dead Union soldiers are buried in a mass communal grave, with Shaw and Trip's bodies next to each other.
  Closing text reveals that Fort Wagner never fell to the Union Army. However, the courage demonstrated by the 54th resulted in the United States accepting thousands of black men for combat, and President Abraham Lincoln credited them with helping to turn the tide of the war.
  The image possibly is a representation of Maj. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore who commanded Union troops attempting to seize Ft. Wagner was the 54th Massachusetts, a regiment of African-Americans led (as required by regulation) by white commissioned officers. Gillmore had ordered that his forces be integrated and that African-Americans were not to be assigned menial tasks only, such as KP or latrine duty, but instead they were to carry arms into battle. They and their assault on Ft. Wagner were the subject of the 1989 Civil War movie Glory, which starred Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick.
  Gillmore decided on siege operations to capture Fort Wagner using innovative technology such as the Requa gun and calcium flood light to blind opponents during trenching efforts. He also implanted a massive Parrott rifle, nicknamed the "Swamp Angel," which fired 200-pound shots into the city of Charleston itself. Despite the swampy ground Union troops were able to work their way toward Fort Wagner.
  
  
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