Snapshots of the Past

Siege battery drill, sponging after firing, [United States Military Academy], West Point, N.Y. – Vintage Wall Art

Siege battery drill, sponging after firing, [United States Military Academy], West Point, N.Y., c1905. — historic photograph
Siege battery drill, sponging after firing, [United States Military Academy], West Point, N.Y., c1905.. Historic photograph from the Detroit Publishing Company collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Few images capture their era like this historic photograph of Siege battery drill, sponging after firing, [United States Military Academy], West Point, N.Y.. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

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Siege battery drill, sponging after firing, [United States Military Academy], West Point, N.Y.

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A drill crew at West Point works a siege gun in the sponging step that followed each firing, when a wet swab was pushed down the bore to smother any burning residue before the next round could be safely loaded. Heavy siege batteries were a core part of the Academy's artillery instruction in the early twentieth century, when coastal and fortress defense still shaped how the army trained. The Detroit Publishing Company, which sent photographers across the country to record landmarks and everyday scenes for sale as views, made this large glass negative around 1905. The picture shows the rehearsed, coordinated teamwork the drill demanded.

Created / publishedc1905.
Medium1 negative : glass ; 8 x 10 in.
GenreDry plate negatives.
Notes2675" on negative. Detroit Publishing Co. no. 018697. Gift; State Historical Society of Colorado; 1949."
SubjectsUnited States Military Academy. Universities & colleges. Military education. Military training. Batteries (Weaponry)United States--New York (State)--West Point.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection
Original scan973 × 791 px
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-DET-62197

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