The War – Making Havelocks for the Volunteers (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. 5, no. 235, cover)
In 1857 Winslow Homer began his eighteen-year career working as an illustrator for Harper’s Weekly, which launched in New York in the same year. The publication was one of the most successful examples of an illustrated weekly, a type of magazine dominated by images rather than text. Weeklies could be printed quickly, cheaply, and in large quantities thanks to recent advances in wood-engraving technology, in which an image was translated onto a wood block and then cast electrolytically from a wax mold. After working as a freelance illustrator during the early years of his career, Homer was hired by Harper’s as a full-time correspondent upon the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861–65). His work for the weekly ranges from wartime scenes observed from the front to nostalgic views evoking America’s agrarian past.
Designed in June 1861 during the first weeks of the Civil War, this print shows young women gathered indoors on a summer afternoon to sew uniforms for Union soldiers. They make havelocks (cloth covers for military caps with long flaps at the back to protect the neck from the sun), and one of the seamstresses models a finished example. The lack of a male presence is a reminder of the men who have departed for the army and left wives, sisters, and daughters behind. The shadowed portrait of a soldier on the wall foreshadows the loss of life to come.
Designed in June 1861 during the first weeks of the Civil War, this print shows young women gathered indoors on a summer afternoon to sew uniforms for Union soldiers. They make havelocks (cloth covers for military caps with long flaps at the back to protect the neck from the sun), and one of the seamstresses models a finished example. The lack of a male presence is a reminder of the men who have departed for the army and left wives, sisters, and daughters behind. The shadowed portrait of a soldier on the wall foreshadows the loss of life to come.
Artwork Details
- Title: The War – Making Havelocks for the Volunteers (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. 5, no. 235, cover)
- Artist: After Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
- Engraver: Anonymous, American, 19th century
- Publisher: Harper's Weekly (American, 1857–1916)
- Publisher: Harper & Brothers (American, New York)
- Date: June 29, 1861
- Medium: Wood engraving
- Dimensions: image: 10 7/8 x 9 1/4 in. (27.6 x 23.5 cm)
sheet: 15 13/16 x 10 11/16 in. (40.2 x 27.2 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1929
- Object Number: 29.88.1(3)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.