Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 75,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

Back to Collection Search

Perine, George Edward (1837-1885) [Charcoal illustration of the bombardment of Fort Sumter, South Carolina]

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04408 Author/Creator: Perine, George Edward (1837-1885) Place Written: s.l. Type: Sketch Date: circa April 1861 Pagination: 1 sketch : b&w ; 57.4 x 34 cm.

Summary of Content: Depicts the 12-13 April Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. Illustrates cannonballs soaring toward the Fort, which was situated in Charleston Harbor. Reveals firing cannons emerging from windows of the Fort as smoke billows above the building. An American flag remains flying on the roof of the Fort. The outline of a city (possibly Charleston, South Carolina) is evident in the background. Possibly created by an eyewitness, and reveals similarity to other depictions of the battle that were published in Harper's Weekly.

People:

Historical Era: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877

Subjects: BattleCivil WarMilitary HistoryUnion ForcesConfederate States of AmericaFortificationFort SumterBattle of Fort SumterArt, Music, Theater, and FilmAmerican FlagArtillery

Sub Era: The American Civil War

Order a Copy Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

Copyright Notice: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.