"The Panorama of the Seat of War" by John Bachmann, Circa 1864

Presented is an original printing of John Bachmann's "Panorama of the Seat of War. Birds Eye View of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia." The print was published in 1864. It is the third state of this fascinating bird's eye view, depicting the northernmost part of the east coast of the Confederacy and the southernmost areas of the Union, including Washington. This third issue was printed with several edits. Specifically, the smoke that was added to Manassas, Virginia in the second issue was once again removed for this issue. The view also has "many towns and battlefields ... added, especially around Richmond, Petersburg, and Fredericksburg" (Rumsey). "At the outset of the Civil War, John Bachmann, of New York City, one of the finest American artists and lithographers specializing in bird's-eye views, began producing a series of panoramas of likely theaters of War" (Stephenson & McKee Virginia in Maps p.239). This view, taken from the apparent vantage point so