120

Portfolio of lithograph portraits by Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co. and others.

Cincinnati, OH, circa 1863
40 lithographs (the first two hand-colored), each 16½ x 12¾ inches. Folio, ½ sheep, worn; minor to moderate foxing, a few plates detached, generally minor wear to contents, General Hunter worn and foxed.

  • Notes:
     The volume begins with two hand-colored Currier & Ives lithographs: a woman with flag titled "The Star Spangled Banner," and a portrait of George Washington. The remainder are almost all lithographed by Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co. of Cincinnati, or are in their style but uncredited. One portrait of Winfield Scott is credited to the firm's local rivals Gibson & Co. 

    The subjects include President Lincoln, cabinet members Chase and Stanton, the governors of Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee (future president "Andy Johnson"); 27 Union generals and colonels; and 5 naval officers. Some of these portraits may have been produced early in the war (Winfield Scott and Elmer Ellsworth were favorites in mid-1861). However, the selection of generals suggests a compilation date in the middle of the war, perhaps late 1863; McClellan does not make an appearance, Meade is named as commander of the Army of the Potomac (appointed in June 1863), but we don't see Sherman, who did not rise to prominence until late 1863. The lithographers' target audience of German-Americans in the Cincinnati region can be seen in the choice of governors, as well as Generals Sigel, Heintzelman, Willich, and Schurz; and Ohio heroes Robert and August McCook.

    The lithographers frequently re-used their plates, swapping out heads on generic bodies. Lincoln shares the same body and backdrop as his cabinet members Chase and Stanton, as well as the three governors. In real life, these men were not swapping their trousers. A few of the mounted generals also share the same steeds (and bodies).

    A handful of other similar portrait albums have appeared on the market, with a somewhat variable roster of between 34 and 40 plates, most of the plates by Ehrgott, Forbriger or uncredited, but usually including the Winfield Scott credited to Gibson; similar bindings; and no title page. Christopher Lane argues convincingly that they were compiled for sale by an unknown retailer. The William Reese copy which hammered for $28,000 in 2022 had 37 plates. 

    See Neely & Holzer, Union Image page 39-49; and Christopher Lane, "The Curious Case of the Hydra-Headed Stones," in "Art as Image: Prints and Promotion in Cincinnati." A full list of the portraits is available on request.
  • Condition:
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November 20, 2025 10:30 AM EST
New York, NY, US

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