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Description

Defining Image of One of the Most Infamous Prisoner of War Camps of All Time.

This colossal bird's-eye view of Andersonville Prison shows the humanitarian catastrophe that transpired there as seen by Thomas O'Dea, a Union soldier who was imprisoned at the Camp during the Civil War.

This large bird's-eye view was conceived by O'Dea after he had seen more flattering renditions of the conditions at Andersonville in the post-war years. Thus, O'Dea drew the prison from memory, surrounded by its infamous stockade and many rifle towers. There is a 41-point "Key to Prison and Vicinity" in the lower left.

The views surrounding the main image are graphic in their depiction of the torture and deprivation to which the Union POWs were exposed. The "Key to Margin Illustrations" lists such points as "12 Mode of punishment. 1 The Stocks 2 The Buck and Gag. 3 The Ball and Chain 4 Hanging by the Thumbs."

O'Dea included a portrait of himself in the lower-right corner.

Condition Description
Hand-colored lithograph on a single sheet of wove paper. Backed on archival tissue. Very few creases and minor spots of toning. An exceptional example of print that is often found in lamentable condition.