Snapshots of the Past

On picket on the river bank – Historic Reproduction

On picket on the river bank, [ca. 1876] — historic drawing
On picket on the river bank, [ca. 1876]. Historic drawing from the Historic Print Archive 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

Step back in time with On picket on the river bank, a historic drawing rich in period detail. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.

Choose the framed print, ready to hang the day it arrives, or the unframed print for a frame of your own. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.

On picket on the river bank

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Unlike many scenes of camp life on the board, this drawing shows a soldier on picket duty along a riverbank, a post where a sentry watched for enemy movement and kept the rest of the camp from being surprised. The record dates it to about 1876, more than a decade after the Civil War ended, so it reflects memory and retrospective study rather than a sketch made in the field. It belongs to a group of drawings titled "Life studies of the great army," which aimed to record the routine details of soldiering, such as the long hours of watch and the solitary vigil that picket posts demanded.

Created / published[ca. 1876]
Medium1 drawing.
Genre1919 (DLC/PP-1919:R1.1.316) Forms part of: Civil War drawing collection."
NotesPart of Life studies of the great army." Gift
SubjectsGuards--1870-1880.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,172 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-151774

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