1940 Broadside with Four Views of Charleston, South Carolina

This is a c. 1940 broadside featuring four views of Charleston, South Carolina, by an unknown artist. These views illustrate the city in 1735, 1780, 1861, and 1925. Two of the views are signed. 'Claude Lord' is written in the lower right corner of the 1735 view and 'Lord' appears in the lower right corner of the 1925 view. In 1735, Charleston (or Charles Town) was a prosperous harbor city with a wealthy planter elite. Charleston was also one of the main ports of embarkation for captured Africans forced into American slavery. The 1780 view depicts Charleston during the American Revolutionary War. Sir Henry Clinton laid siege to Charleston from April 1, 1780 to May 12, when Patriot leader Benjamin Lincoln surrendered. This was the greatest American defeat of the war. In 1861, war descended on Charleston again. South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union after President Abraham Lincoln was elected, precipitating the American Civil War (1861 - 1786). Charleston Harbor became the site of the first battle of the war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter, a fort in the harbor held by the U.S. Army. The 1925 view emphasizes the trappings of modern life, including modern ocean liners, airplanes, and a speedboat.

Publication History and Census

This view was created and published by an unknown artist, potentially Claude Lord, c. 1940. This is the only known example. It is not cataloged in OCLC, and we have been unable to unearth any other record of this piece, or even copyright records.