Benecke, Thomas after Otto Botticher “National Guard 7th Regt. N.Y.S.M. at Camp Worth (Kingston, July 1855) forming for review and inspection by Inspector-General B. F. Bruce N.Y.S.M.”

Thomas Benecke after Otto Botticher.  “National Guard 7th Regt. N.Y.S.M. at Camp Worth (Kingston, July 1855) forming for review and inspection by Inspector-General B. F. Bruce N.Y.S.M.”    

New York: Goupil & Co, 1856.  28 ¾ X 36 ¾ (paper size).  Lithograph printed by G. W. Lewis.  Full original hand color.  Narrow margins with mat burn in bottom margin.  Print mounted to old thin backing board with a canvas backing.  Two tears into image repaired with linen tape on verso.  Two cracks in sky.  Some vertical scratches in image left hand side with series of small vertical spots in sky right hand side.  Water stain just into image upper right hand corner.  Print is somewhat brittle.  Else, fine condition.  Print is being sold as is.  

This print is after a painting by Otto Botticher.  Botticher emigrated from Prussia to New York in 1848, and it is believe he served in the Prussian military.  However, arriving in America he earned his living as an artist.  In the 1850s he was partnered with Thomas Benecke in a lithography business.  Most of Bottichers works depict scenes of New York or military subjects.    

Botticher enlisted in the New York Volunteer Infantry in 1861 and was captured by Confedrate troops a year later.  He was imprsisoned at Librry Printsin Richmond, Virgina.  He later painted and issued a large lithograph of a scene of prisoners playing baseball in the prison.  Botticher was exchanged for a souther office and he rejoined his regiment in 1863 and fought at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.  

Botticher painted and issued three large prints relating to New York military regiments prior to the start of the Civil War.  This scene depicts a military exercise in 1855 at Camp Worth in Kingston, New York.