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[An extensive collection of illustrated Civil War envelope covers produced in the North.] Envelopes of the Civil War [spine-title].

[U.S., 1861–1865.]. Folio (15” x 11.5”), full red leather with gilt title and rules at spine, spine recently renewed. 380 excised envelope covers mounted on 183 leaves. Two covers addressed; one envelope with period manuscript illustrations by the recipient or the sender. CONDITION: Very good, moderate wear to covers; envelopes very good, occasional light wear.

An extraordinary collection of illustrated envelope covers produced during the Civil War, featuring a cornucopia of themes relating to the war and its effect on everyday life, as mounted and bound by an early twentieth century collector.

These envelopes feature a remarkably wide range of subjects: American flags; eagles; military and battle scenes from the war; Lady Liberty and female muses; the women who stayed behind during the war; the Confederate flag upside-down; the Capitol at Washington D.C.; the devil; Uncle Sam; a Black woman nursing a white baby; maritime scenes; a Black man watching Union men hoist the American flag; Zouaves; campfire scenes; liberty bells; coats of arms; Union sailors; a Union drummer boy; Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio; cotton-themed images, Union hospitals; George Washington; Ulysses S. Grant; cartoons of Southerners and the Confederacy; Union officers, a Black man dancing (with the text “Old John Brown is Dead, but I still live”); cannons; The Battle of Bull Run; heroes of the American Revolutionary War, etc.

The slogans and catchphrases on the envelopes include “Victory,” “the Union now & forever,” “The girl I left behind,” “Death to traitors,” “Truth and victory,” “Maintain the government,” and “Union Y Libertad.” Themes such as secession and treason frequently recur, and animals such as rats and snakes are often used as symbols of the Confederacy. Some envelopes bear the names of specific corps, divisions, and regiments of the Union Army, while others relate to individual states (Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Vermont, California, Delaware, etc.). A few envelopes deal with the international response to the war, and a handful of envelopes feature poetry and verse.

Item #7582

Price: $6,500.00