1885 Civil War – Scaife

‘History of the Civil War in the United States’ is a fascinating piece, as much for the ways in which it succeeds as for the (rather more numerous) ways it fails. Completed in 1897, it attempts to portray with eye-straining intricacy all of the events of the Civil War, the movement of troops, the loss of men and supplies, and a host of other variables for both sides involved in the conflict. It is striking, with a contemporary-feeling color scheme and a design that catches the eye, but trying to extract information from this piece is next to impossible. Still, it is impossible not to respect the amount of time and effort that must have went into this.