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Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) Election in Baltimore, November, 1862

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00493.09 Author/Creator: Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) Place Written: s.l. Type: Print Date: circa 1880-1890 Pagination: 1 etching : b&w ; 26.2 x 34.8 cm. Order a Copy

Depicts Federal troops overseeing the election. They are intimidating the respectable citizens attempting to vote while encouraging those of less reputable character. Unruly Unionist members of the crowd, at least some of whom appear to be African American, wave banners that say, "Union or Nothing," and "Hail Columbia-Happy Land!!!" The George Washington monument in Baltimore's Mount Vernon Place is seen in the background. Size in extent is for the mount. The actual size of the etching is 20 x 26.6 cm. Title in pencil on verso.

Adalbert John Volck was a dentist, political cartoonist, and a caricaturist who sympathized with the Southern cause. During the Civil War, Volck supported the Confederacy through his satirical political cartoons. He also smuggled drugs and medical supplies for the Confederate army, and served as a personal courier to President Jefferson Davis.

Volck, Adalbert John, 1828-1912

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