A View of the Bombardment of Fort McHenry

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Artist John Bower (American, active 1809–1819)American, active 1809–1819

CultureAmerican

Titles

A View of the Bombardment of Fort McHenry

Datec. 1815

PlacePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

MediumHand-colored aquatint on wove paper

DimensionsImage: 10 3/4 × 17 in. (27.3 × 43.2 cm)
Sheet: 12 5/8 × 17 5/8 in. (32.1 × 44.8 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by "One Great Night in November, 1990"

Object numberB.90.14

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionThe British attack on Baltimore in September of 1814 was part of a newer, more aggressive strategy that British forces were able to undertake against the United States after Napoléon Bonaparte’s defeat at the Battle of Paris in March. The British advance on land stalled against American defenses and naval forces began a 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry at the mouth of Baltimore harbor that ended on the morning of September 14. Firing from the limit of their weapons’ ranges, the British ships were unable to prevail and sailed from Baltimore to New Orleans.
Provenance[Hirschl and Adler Galleries, New York]; purchased by MFAH, 1990.
Published References Biddle, James. American Art from American Collections. Exh. cat. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1963, no. 230; Middendorf 1967, p. 110, no. 75; Shadwell, Wendy A. American Printmaking: The First 150 Years. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1969, p. 51, no. 101. Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscribed below image, center: Copy Right, Secured. J. Bower, sc. Phila.[a underlined and superscript with period [.] underneath] / A VIEW of the BOMBARDMENT of Fort Mc.[c underlined and superscript with period [.] underneath]Henry, near Baltimore, by the British fleet, taken from the / Observatory, under the Command of Admirals Cochrane, & Cockburn, on the morning of the 13th[th superscript with two vertical lines underneath] of Sepr[r superscript with two vertical lines underneath]1814. which lasted 24 hours, & / thrown from 1500, to 1800 shells. in the Night attempted to land by forcing a passage up the ferry branch but were repulsed with great loss,
Inscribed below image, right: References. / A, Fort Mc.[c superscript with period [.] underneath]Henry._ / B, Lazaretto. / C, Salauave House_ / V[with flared ends]. Admiral Ship. V V[both with flared ends]. North Point. / E, Ferry and Fort

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