Partisan genre scene depicting a Southern white man pastor and members of his congregation presenting church bells to a Confederate officer at the hearth of an enslaved African American man blacksmith. In the left, the officer holds his cap in his hand as the blacksmith, attired in a long apron (doffed cap as well), bends over to grab one of two bells near his feet. Candlesticks and andirons lie in a pile under the hearth and to the left of the officer. In the right, congregants stand behind the pastor attired in robes and a wide-brimmed hat, and include a woman attired in a fancy dress and cape, men in suits and top hats, and a man dressed in yeoman's clothing. In the background, an enslaved African American man carries a cylinder-shaped object over his shoulder and church towers are visible. In 1862, Confederate General P.T. Beauregard called for bells to be given to the Confederacy to be melted into cannon. Several churches in North Carolina donated them., Inscribed upper left corner: 19., Inscribed in lower left corner: AJV; FBM., Issued as plate 19 in Sketches from the Civil War in North America (London [i.e., Baltimore]: [the author], 1863-1864), a series of pro-Confederacy cartoons drawn and published by Baltimore cartoonist Adalbert John Volck under the pseudonym V. Blada. The "first issue" of 10 prints (numbered 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 21, 24), with imprint "London, 1863" were printed as etchings. The remaining 20 prints (numbered 4, 8, 9-11, 14, 17-20, 23, 25-27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 40, 45) headed "Second and third issues of V. Blada's war sketches" and dated "London, July 30, 1864" were printed as lithographs., Title and publication information from series at Brown University Library., Research file about artist available at repository., Accessioned 1935., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator
Volck, Adalbert John, 1828-1912, artist
Date
[1864]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Volck - Sketches - Volck 19 [2990.F.20]