Ehrgott & Forbriger Prints
-Portrait Backgrounds-

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The reuse of the backgrounds is even more extensive than it appears at first, for quite a number of the backgrounds were closely copied from other backgrounds, with only moderate changes. The charging infantry behind the horse in one background becomes a cavalry troop, a small hill disappears to be replaced by a bush, or a dark horse becomes a dappled gray. If all the backgrounds which are derived from each other are grouped together, then there are only fifteen distinct groups. Two of the background groups have two variants each, three of the background groups have three variants each, and one background group has five distinct variations.

Major Genl. McClellan

An anonymous color lithograph of McClellan that clearly is related to the Ehrgott & Forbriger prints. Though not identical to any of the backgrounds below, the main figure and horse are almost the same as in background S13. The marching soldiers at left and the four figures at right are also very similar to images from other Ehrgott & Forbriger backgrounds, as is the prone figure in the foreground. Whether this print was based on the Ehrgott & Forbriger prints or vice versa is not known

Below is a listing of the different backgrounds use for the politicians (Background P), and army (Background Sx) and navy officers (Background Nx). Those backgrounds that are variants of each other are grouped together as, e.g. Background S3a, S3b,....

Background P

A political figure seated in a carved chair, facing to the left. His right hand holds a pen to a document which rests on a cloth covered table upon which sits an Indian figure ink stand. From left to right behind the figure are: curved arch through which can be seen a field filled with troops on parade; a bust of Washington mounted high in corner; a wall map on rollers-"Map of the United States"-, drapery, and a floor standing globe. The only differences in the different plates are the heads, shirt collars and ties (if any), with the coat and vest remaining the same.

Background S1

A mounted figure moving to the left on a horse which has two hooves off the ground. The foreground is flat with woods behind and a fort just visible in the brush at the left, a flag flying above.

Background S2

The main figure, his left hand behind his back, stands next to and holds the reins of a whitish horse which faces to the left. In the background on the left is a formation of soldiers with their flag flying. In the background on the right are three ships in the water.

Background S3a

A mounted figure on a horse facing to the right. The horse has its front right and back left hooves poised in air. The foreground has a hilly path along which the horse trots, with a rocky ledge at left and a small hill to the right. In the distance is vague shading which might indicate hills.

Background S3b

A transfer from S3a, with the vague shading in background wiped out and the addition of Zouave troops marching from left to right.

Background S3c

A transfer from S3a, with the rocky ledge on the left cut-off half-way down (though still hiding the bottom of the back right hoof) and two bushes added. The background was wiped out (including the tip of the main figure's sword where is showed under the horse's belly) and a river scene added, showing a double-stacked steamship on the river, with houses and steeples on the far bank.

Background S3d

A transfer from S3a, with the same horse and body of the main figure. The rocky ledge at the left has been redrawn as a flat path and the hill at the right has its top wiped out. The horse's back left hoof, not shown in S3a, is drawn in.

Background S3e

A transfer from S3a, but the bottom of the print, including the bottom of the horse's legs, has been wiped out and redrawn. The new foreground is fairly bare and level, with a tall bush shown at the left and a stump or basket at the right. In the background is an army encampment, with wagons, tents, a flag pole, and troops in formation.

Background S4a

A chromolithograph of a mounted figure on a standing horse facing to the left. The ground in front is a flat coastline leading up to a sea. A fort is shown on the right, a paddle wheel steam ship is depicted at left, and a fleet of sailing & steam ships is drawn in the distance.

Background S4b

The same mounted figure on his horse is shown, and the flat foreground is the same, but this now leads down to a river rather than to a seaside as in S4a. On the right the form of the fort from S4a is turned into a hill, with the tip of lighthouse from S4a now shown as a vague building on top of the hill. At the left a row of tents and trees replaces the paddle wheeler and in the middle a river scene is drawn with an ironclad sailing along. In the background the masts of the ships from S4a can be seen faintly, looking somewhat like the ships might be docked at the town in the distance.

Background S4c

With a completely redrawn background; the foreground is slightly raised flat area with grass and stone and tree stump and few plants at right. In background is a formation of troops marching in rank in front of a rail fence

Background S5a

A mounted figure sits facing to the right on a dark horse with two hooves off the ground. The foreground is flat, with some woods shown in the middle distance and a hill in the back at left. Troops are shown marching from left to right in front of the woods.

Background S5b

The horse is shown as dappled white rather than dark. The only other difference is that on S5b there are two light lines, clearly unintended, which run between the front two hooves of the horse.

Background S6a

A mounted figure, holding a tasseled sword or hat aloft in his right hand, on a horse charging to the right, all four hooves in the air. Behind to the left is a bugler, and in the background at the right is a marching rank of troops, one of whom turns around to cheer the General. The cheering soldier holds his cap in his hand just under the horse's nose.

Background S6b

The bugler on the left is gone, though the faint outline of his horse's head and a disembodied leg can be seen. The troops on the right have been completely redrawn, with the cheering soldier eliminated, though the faint outline of his cap can still be seen just under the horse's nose.

Background S7

A mounted figure on a horse facing to the right and rearing back, with its front right and back left legs off the ground. The ground is grassy and there is no background other than shading.

Background S8

A chromolithograph of a mounted figure on a white horse facing left. The horse is walking with two legs in the air. The figure sits with his right hand on his hip and his left holding the reins. In the background is an encampment with lots of tents and a hill further in background.

Background S9

A mounted figure, holding the reins in both hands, sitting on a standing horse facing to the left. Hills are shown in the mid-distance, while the foreground is barren with some rocks. The horse has its front right hoof lifted high and its back left just touching the ground.

Background S10

A mounted figure, his cape flying off his shoulders, on a horse charging to the left with all four hooves off the ground. In the left foreground is a cannon ball and just behind it some bramble. Smoke fills the background.

Background S11

A winter scene with a figure standing on a rise in the foreground, holding in his right hand a sword pointing down, his left hand pointing to the right. A sword, basket, cannon ball and cannon lie discarded in the foreground. In the background some troops are shown attacking to the right. At the left a soldier holds a flag and at the right another tries to support a companion who has just been shot.

Background S12

A mounted figure, looking to the right, rides a white horse facing to the left. The horse has two legs, front left and back right, lifted of the ground and it stands in a flat area with hills and a gully behind. To the left, at the foot of a hill, is some small brush and to right, in the background, is a stand of trees.

Background S13a

A mounted figure on a horse charging to the left with all of its four hooves off the ground. Troops are drawn behind the figure on the left and on the right are some more troops shown charging with a flag flying above the horse's tail.

Background S13b

With the bugler replacing the flag on the right. The charging troops on the right are faintly visible, though it looks like they are not supposed to be there.

Background S13c

The charging troops to the left are replaced by charging cavalry, but you can still see, just below the charging horses, a faint image of the legs of the troops which were removed.

Background S14a

A mounted figure on a horse facing to the left. Behind the main figure, to the right, are four mounted soldiers, though the back figure is never strongly depicted and fades in later strikes. The horse of the front figure of this foursome is drawn with its two front legs showing between the back two legs of the main figure's horse.

Background S14b

The two most distant of figures to the right are eliminated and the other two figures have redrawn heads, with the figure on the far right now having a brimmed hat rather than a cap.

Background S14c

Added to the foreground are a cannon ball and some scruffy grass. To the left is the butt end of a cannon and two horses with mounted figure. The figures on the right, shown on previous versions, are completely gone, but the two front legs of one of these figures' horse is still there, making it look like central figure's horse has six legs!

Background S15

A mounted figure sits on a horse rearing on its two hind legs and facing to the left. In the foreground, at the bottom left, is a prone body with knapsack on its back and a hat lying behind its head; a cannon ball is to the right. In the background, at the left, are several marching figures with knapsacks and bayoneted rifles. In background at the right are two mounted figures.

Background N1

A figure stands on the cabin of an ironclad, holding a sword in the crook of his left arm. In the background are three other ironclads steaming along the river, and a fort is shown on the shore in the distance at the left.

Background N2

A figure stands on the deck of a ship, holding a sword hilt in his left hand, while his right arm is extended off to the left, holding a cap. The background shows a mast at left, a capstan behind central figure, a flag in lower left corner, and two soldiers by the mast.

Background N3

A figure stands on deck of iron-clad ship with shell fragments at his feet. The figure looks straight out, his left hand pointing across his body to the left and his right hand holding a telescope. In the background is a rowboat passing a floating log. On the further shore is a fort at the right and an encampment at the left, and an ironclad ship is shown just off the shore near the encampment.

Background N4

A figure stands on the deck of a ship, holding a sword hilt in his left hand and with his right hand behind his back. A sailor, shown slightly behind on the left, raises a flag on a pole and a cannon covered by a coat is depicted slightly behind on the right. In the background, across the water, is a shoreline with a ship, a fort, and tents at the right.

Background N5

A figure stands on a ship deck, before a mast, with his left arm hanging by his side and his right hand holding a telescope. The ship deck has a cannon at the left, a stool with a map of the Mississippi River on it at the right, and a sailor talking to two soldiers in the background. In the background at the left are a number of ships with their sails furled.

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