At the start of the Civil War, John Bachmann, a Swiss immigrant and master lithographer, sat at his drawing table in Jersey City, New Jersey, surrounded by all the latest and most authoritative maps of Texas.
His eye traced every river, noted the contour of the coastline and absorbed every variation of the terrain. After weeks of study, both geography and topography were burned into his brain.
Then he sent his mind's eye thousands of feet above the Gulf of Mexico, and 'saw' Texas as no one ever had. His hand drew what his mind saw. The result was by far the finest view of Texas produced during the Civil War. It was also the first large scale birds eye view of the state.
Accurate, But Not Perfect
It clearly identifies every major town, river, road and port. There are a few mistakes—including placing Austin on the 'Guandalupe' River instead of the Colorado, and mislabeling Galveston's East and West bays. But all-in-all, it's an amazingly accurate view, considering it sprang from a man's (well fed) imagination. It provided a glimpse of the coastline the Federals found useful in military planning.Among the details shown are the ships of the Federal blockade, the Stars and Stripes flying from their sterns. Flag-less Confederate blockade runners sit in the Gulf, waiting for the most opportune time to skirt the patrols.A Big Money Map
The originals are in high demand among collectors and fetch over $15,000 at auction.
This limited edition is priced less than an average tank of gas these days. And it's a true limited edition. Just 254 hand-numbered copies, one for each county in Texas.
The Physical Details
It's a high quality giclee print measuring 29 by 21 inches. The paper is acid free, cold press cotton watercolor with an elegant ever so lightly textured finish. This surface allows the inks to 'bite', reproducing the shading and tonality of the original map vividly, beautifully, and exactly. The inks are guaranteed color-fast for 80 years, which means you won't need to lay out the extra money for UV glass. You can hang your map in direct sun and it will be just as bright when it is passed on to the next generation it is the day you receive it.It's an instant heirloom. Get yours before they're gone...and get one to give to a friend. He'll owe you!
Guarantee
Like all our limited editions, we will gladly buy it back if you decide you don't want it anymore. There's no time limit on that.
