The Rebel Army crossing the fords of the Potomac for the invasion of Maryland
date: 1862
artist: Thomas Nast
full page wood engraving – matted
condition: a spot in title below image – otherwise good
source: Harper’s Weekly
9 ⅛ x 13 ⅞″ mat: 16 x 20″
The cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840 – 1902) came to the U.S. from Germany as a young child. After working at Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper from the age of fifteen, he moved to Harper’s Weekly in 1862. His satirical sketches were a popular feature at Harper’s and he came to be considered “the father of the American political cartoon”. During the Civil War his sketches were appreciated by President Lincoln as helping recruitment to the Union cause.