Kaaterskill Books

Collection of Scarce Civil War Lithographed Broadsides

Magnus, Charles, lithographer.

[Archive of Eleven Illustrated Civil War Song Sheets].

[New York]: Charles Magnus, 1863-1864. 1 sheet each. Broadsides. Approx. 8 x 5 inches. First editions thus. Very good or better copies. Item #42987

Charles Magnus (1826 -1900) a printer based in New York, though not known for his original designs, as were Currier & Ives, was admired greatly for the quality and color of his prints, and the craftsmanship of his use of steel, copper, and stone engraved plates with color applied in hand or stencil. He issued numerous song sheets, most with colored images, in various series, and many with numerous variants. Most are three to five stanzas and measure between 20.4 to 21 cm by 12.6 to 13 cm.

(1) Home without a Mother. Image: one of two of Camp Carroll, Baltimore, temporarily known as Camp Chesebrough in 1864. Wolf: American Song Sheets: 898d. Variant. No Magnus #). Copy at AAS.

(2) Summons to Battle. Air--Away! to the mountain's brow. Image: "Rendez-vous of Distribution, Va." a hospital camp in Alexandria which had been restructured as Camp Distribution, a station for soldiers awaiting their deployment orders. Wolf: 2259a. Magnus 96. Copies: Lib.Co.Phila., AAS.

(3) The Banner of the Free. Air: The Sword of Bunker Hill - by Eugene Johnston. Image: Liberty holding flag and flag shield with eagle at her side. Wolf 83f. Magnus 205. Copies: LCP, AAS, MTSU.

(4) The Star Spangled Banner. Image: Headpiece liberty with flag and shield, cannon barrel, canon balls, muskets and more. Wolf 2241t (variant). Magnus 206b. Copies LCP, AAS.

(5) Tell Mother I Die Happy. The last words of Lieut. Crosby, who was killed in his battery at Salem Heights in the fight of Sunday evening, May 2d, 1863. Image: Angle hold wounded soldier in garden with tree, mother praying, house in rear. Wolf 2290f. Magnus 193.

(6) The Song of All Songs, No. 2. Written by John F. Poole. - Sung by Charles E. Collins, at the American Theatre, 444 Broadway. - Air: "The captain with his whiskers.". Image: Jarvis General Hospital, Baltimore, Md. 2." Wolf 2182c (variant). No Magnus #. Copy at AAS only.

(7). Red, White and Blue. Image: Liberty holding American Flag. Wolf 1981. Magnus 203. LCP, NYHS, AAS (in German with different image).

(8) The Banner of the Free. Air: The Sword of Bunker Hill - by Eugene Johnston. Image: seated general flanked by flags. Wolf 83d. Magnus 19. LCP & John Hopkins.

(9) Let the Rebels put that in their Pipes. Air: I was the Boy for bewitching 'em. By John Ross Dix. Image: Union cavalry charge with fleeing Confederates. Wolf 1241a. Magnus 116. Copies at LCP, John Hopkins, MTSU, Brown, Lincoln Presidential.

(10) The Rebel Flags. Exhibited at the Capitol February 22, 1862. Air: The Sword of Bunker Hill. By John A. Fowler. Image: wounded soldiers with an armored ironclad gunboat, possibly the USS Monitor in the background. Wolf 1971a. Magnus 106. Copies at LCP, AAS, MTSU

(11) Give us Back our old Commander. Image: McClellan and other officers on horseback with soldiers in the background. Wolf 754j. Magnus 134. Copies at LCP, AAS (variant i), MTSU, Brown, Lincoln Presidential, Univ. Tulsa.

Price: $875.00