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Winslow Homer Civil War Wood Engraving

Crew of the United States Steam-Sloop "Colorado," Shipped at Boston, June, 1861

The Harper's Weekly description of this Winslow Homer print published with in on July 13, 1861 reads:

The reader will find a truthful picture of the crew of the United States steam-frigate Colorado, which has lately sailed from Boston to join the blockading fleet. The men were all recruited and shipped at Boston, and we understand that an unusual proportion of them are Americans. Their physique goes to show that the race has not degenerated in that part of the country, and that when occasion offers they will do full justice to the reputation which our gallant tars have won in many a fight and on many a sea.

The author of "Echo Of A Distant Drum: Winslow Homer and the Civil War" by Julian Grossman (New York, 1974) notes that the task of blockading a 3,550 mile coastline was futile at first, "but by the beginning of August four blockading squadrons were stationed off the eight commercially vital Confederate ports" and they were effective until the the Confederacy was able to acquire naval vessels capable of challenging the Union squadrons. The author notes the vast wartime expansion of the Navy:

Before the war was over, the Union navy grew from sixty obsolete sailing vessels and twenty-four steamers to a force of seven hundred ships of all kinds, manned by more than fifty thousand seamen.

Below is Homer's signature on the print, the picture of which is inverted. It appears in the bottom left corner of the print.

Below is the print as matted to a standard frame size of 16 x 20  inches, which will be it simple and easy to pop into a reasonably priced frame. It will come in a protective plastic sleeve, which is the cause of the light reflection in the picture below.

Price: SOLD