Auction Name: 2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts & Texana Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 47041

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/6328*47041

John Bachmann. Panorama of the Seat of War. Birds Eye View of Texas and Part of Mexico. New York: John Bachmann, 1861. Hand-colored lithograph, 29 1/2 x 23 inches (sight), matted and framed to an overall size of 37 1/2 x 31 inches.

This very scarce plate from Bachmann's series of Civil War panoramas features the southern coast of Texas from a bird's eye view, a novel method of mapmaking in its time. Though it contains a small handful of inaccuracies (including the misplacement of "Austin City" on the Guadalupe rather than the Colorado River), it was widely admired for its detailed depiction of the region's cities, waterways, and harbors presented from a dramatic and unique perspective. Stephenson notes that, following Bachmann's publications, "the panoramic map in fact became a popular and effective technique for conveying information about the Civil War...These visually attractive panoramas were easily understood and perhaps more meaningful to a public largely unskilled in map reading."

The Birds Eye View of Texas and Part of Mexico is perhaps the rarest of Bachmann's Seat of War lithographs. We located only five examples at auction between 1994 and 2023, and OCLC records just one institutional copy, held at the University of Michigan. An important piece of Texan and American history, offering a compelling view of the Gulf region at the outbreak of the Civil War.

Condition: Not examined out of frame. Minor cockling. Light, vertical toned line at center, and a few light, scattered stains. A few very minor spots of foxing.

Reference: Rumsey 3713; Stevenson 446.8.

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