Thomas Nast Prints

Fighting Among the Clouds

This is one of most famous and collected of Thomas Nast's Civil War Illustrations.  It is from an original 1863 Harper's Weekly.  Thomas Nast was famous for his satirical art and poignant political cartoons.  This one is unusual in that it is a dramatic illustration of a Civil War battle.  The print is captioned, "The Capture of Lookout Mountain- General Hooker Fighting Among the Clouds". The illustration shows an intense battle for Lookout Mountain on a cloudy December morning.  Injured and dieing soldiers are seen on the ground.  A soldier is shown charging up the mountain on horseback, led by a brave color bearer carrying a tattered flag.  In the background more soldiers are seen, and far in the distance the enemy is bravely defending the mountaintop. You will not find a more more stunning original Civil War illustration!   Print is 11x16.

h1863p829                       $250

Civil War POW's

This is a superb Thomas Nast print from an original 1863 Harper's Weekly.  The print is captioned, "The Prisons at Richmond- Union Prisoners at Belle Isle".  The print shows a large group of ghastly, starving Union prisoners.  Guarding the prisoners is a group of robust, well fed, well dressed, and well equipped Rebels.  The Rebels are equipped with swords, rifles and canons.  In the background one Union soldier is being stomped and tortured.  Prints such as this one were widely circulated in the North, inflaming the population and stimulating the Union soldiers to bring a quick end to the War.  Click on the image to see an enlargement.  You will spend hours studying this one! The print is 11x16.

h1863p781                       $165

Thomas Nast Santa Claus

Thomas Nast is most famous for his illustrations of Santa Claus, and in fact, he is responsible, probably more than anyone else, for the today's popular image of Santa.  This is one of his earliest portraits of Santa.  The left image shows Santa emerging from the fireplace, with a big bag of gifts on his back. 

The print is captioned, "The Christmas Morning Furlough- Christmas, 1863", and comes from an original 1863 Harper's Weekly.  It is a fabulous and highly collectible print.  Original Thomas Nast Santa prints are becoming almost impossible to find, as they are being quickly scooped up by collectors.  This is a particularly important one, because of its early date and its Civil War content.  The center image shows a Union soldier returning home for Christmas furlough.  His son can be seen wrapped around his leg, and he is being warmly embraced and kissed by his wife.  Friends and family are pictured in the background delighted to see him.  His hat and blanket are seen on the floor. The room is decorated for Christmas, and has a banner welcoming the soldier home.  

The image on the left has Santa looking at two small sleeping children.  In the lower left is an inset image of the true Christmas- Christ in the manger at Bethlehem.  The lower inset image shows the family enjoying Christmas dinner, with the Father cutting the Turkey.  The image on the right shows the children on Christmas morning opening the stockings hung over the fireplace.  

This is a stunning print you will not want to miss.  Be sure and click on the small picture to see an enlargement. While the print is over 130 years old, it shows the Christmas traditions that endure till today. This is truly a heartwarming print that you will cherish forever. This is a large 16x22 centerfold print.

h1863p824                       $250

Thomas Nast- Little Drummer Boy

This is another touching, original Thomas Nast Civil War illustration from an 1863 Harper's Weekly.  The print shows 8 inset images of the Little Drummer Boy.  The print is captioned, "The Drummer Boy of our Regiment- Eight War Scenes".  The print shows an image of the adult soldiers playing kindly playing with the child in camp.  The top row of scenes also shows the boy, who looks to be about 11, washing his face and eating supper.  The center left image shows the boy leaving home, with a tearful mother waving him goodbye.  The center right image shows him home for a visit, with his dog greeting him at the door.  The lower image shows him marching into battle with the rest of the troops. This is a really nice print showing an unusual aspect of the Civil War- children in combat.   The print is 11x16.

h1863p805                       $175

Thomas Nast- The Halt

This is a spectacular Thomas Nast print from an original 1864 Harper's Weekly.  The print is rich with interesting historic content, and shows an exhausted group of Civil War soldiers stopping for a rest at a small town.  A black man can be seen pumping water for the thirsty men.  The man in the foreground is leaning over a barrel while his friend pours water over his head. A small black boy is shown in the center of the image.  Men can be seen sitting and soaking their feet in a bucket of water.  Covered wagons are shown in the background.  There is so much interesting detail you will want to click on the image to show it in more detail. 

h1864p628                       $175