A second look at CSS Virginia

[rebelatsea]

Prompted bt a reference earlier to the thread CSS Virginia, help needed, I took another look at something that has been niggling at me, but couldnI put a finger on it.
It is this drawing (woodcut?)of the ship in dry dock under conversion.
One is the shape of the gunports - shown as square /oblong. Porters gunports were bevelled to allow for limited traverse and elevation, showing as 3ft wide by 5ft tall outside the armour.
The pilot house is too small, this is the timber interior, before the cast iron shape we are all familiar with was put on.
There are no raised bulwarks or planked foredeck.
She is clearly shown in commission.

The paddle steamer behind is either Patrick Henry or Jamestown, but what he listing full rigger is I have no idea, I suppose it could be the Plymouth and perhaps someone told the artist that she would be next in the dry dock - which wasn't true.

Having said all that it is a fascinating portrayal by someone with considerable talent.

 

[gary]

Artistic license comes to mind.

 

[Old Soldier]

Same vessel, different aspect:

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

it is a fascinating portrayal by someone with considerable talent.

Agreed !

But we must remember, a lot of these images were quickly sketched on site and finished in a studio weeks later prior to publication
... (and often finished by different people).

I also seriously doubt the illustrators were concerned about capturing small details, but only providing their readers with a general idea of what they saw.

But you're right. The person sketching the vessel had talent.
IMHO, this image provides a reasonably accurate impression of the CSS Virginia .

 

[Old Soldier]

Many sketches were done within a short time, but had to be ready quickly for publication - the etched drawing was the only illustration available to certain publications at this time, many newspapers did not carry any. Some are very well put together and relatively detailed, but some are not, yet give an impression of the situation at the time. This does not include paintings as these were often done years afterwards. Punch in Britain and Harpers Weekly in the US were very good at it - as well as the political cartoons. Bear in mind that the 'etched sketch' was a principle method of illustration until the early 20th Century when half-tone - the printing of photographs - became technically possible for newspapers.

This was published AT THE TIME (Harper's Weekly", 1862) Note the anomalies

(Illustrated London News 1862)

 

[rebelatsea]

Many sketches were done within a short time, but had to be ready quickly for publication - the etched drawing was the only illustration available to certain publications at this time, many newspapers did not carry any. Some are very well put together and relatively detailed, but some are not, yet give an impression of the situation at the time. This does not include paintings as these were often done years afterwards. Punch in Britain and Harpers Weekly in the US were very good at it - as well as the political cartoons. Bear in mind that the 'etched sketch' was a principle method of illustration until the early 20th Century when half-tone - the printing of photographs - became technically possible for newspapers.
View attachment 577686
This was published AT THE TIME (Harper's Weekly", 1862) Note the anomalies

View attachment 577687
(Illustrated London News 1862)

I must attempt a scale drawing of that version some time.

 

[Lampasas Bill]

Prompted bt a reference earlier to the thread CSS Virginia, help needed, I took another look at something that has been niggling at me, but couldnI put a finger on it.
It is this drawing (woodcut?)of the ship in dry dock under conversion.

This is an illustration from the "Battles and Leaders" series that ran in the Century Magazine from 1884 to 1887. The articles were later compiled in a four volumn book set. It was done more than twenty years after the scene it depicts took place, so mistakes in some details are understandable. Still, a great illustration.

 

[rebelatsea]

This is an illustration from the "Battles and Leaders" series that ran in the Century Magazine from 1884 to 1887. The articles were later compiled in a four volumn book set. It was done more than twenty years after the scene it depicts took place, so mistakes in some details are understandable. Still, a great illustration.

Thank for the original source, I have it in several books but had always just looked and passed over (as you do) . It is indeed a great illustration, and has a lot of truth in it.

 

[rebelatsea]

Had some time to spare so I had a play with that Battles and Leaders drawing.

Much to my surprise it scaled perfectly overlaid with the USS Merrimac plan, using waterline length, with the ship cut down to the lower gundeck. I used the drawing for the vertical elevation as is, with a couple of embellishments, and cheated by using the gunports suitably modified elsewhere. I haven't produced a 100% coloured version, as i couldn't match the shade of the original.
I have neither added nor changed anything above water.
I think the result is quite convincing - and a tad French LOL.

 

[Trooper "D"]

Same vessel, different aspect:
View attachment 577683

Nice illustration.

 

[Trooper "D"]

Many sketches were done within a short time, but had to be ready quickly for publication - the etched drawing was the only illustration available to certain publications at this time, many newspapers did not carry any. Some are very well put together and relatively detailed, but some are not, yet give an impression of the situation at the time. This does not include paintings as these were often done years afterwards. Punch in Britain and Harpers Weekly in the US were very good at it - as well as the political cartoons. Bear in mind that the 'etched sketch' was a principle method of illustration until the early 20th Century when half-tone - the printing of photographs - became technically possible for newspapers.
View attachment 577686
This was published AT THE TIME (Harper's Weekly", 1862) Note the anomalies

View attachment 577687
(Illustrated London News 1862)

This is nice also. Very dramatic.