Paintings of Antietam to be focus of meeting tonight

The March meeting of the Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table will feature a presentation on “The Antietam Paintings of James B. Hope” by Dr. Brad Gottfried and Linda Gottfried.

The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 in the second-floor atrium room at the Sussex County Community College Performing Arts Center, College Hill Road, Newton. An elevator is available.

Admission is free; donations are appreciated.

Hope’s five panoramic (12 feet by 5.5 feet) paintings of the Antietam battle are in the Antietam National Battlefield Visitors Center in Maryland. The canvases convey the beauty and horror of the Antietam battlefield.

A distinguished landscape painter in the Hudson River School, Hope was a captain in the 2nd Vermont Infantry and fought at Antietam.

In their presentation, the Gottfrieds will display each painting, then zoom in on each portion to illustrate interesting aspects of the battle and what it was like to be a Civil War soldier. The presentation will be of interest to both “hard core” Civil War buffs and those with an interest in fine art.

Brad Gottfried earned a doctorate in zoology and served as a college educator for more than 40 years, rising to the presidency of two colleges before he retired in 2017. He has written 17 books on the Civil War. He is also a Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide and an Antietam Licensed Battlefield Guide.

Linda Gottfried earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and served as a graphic designer and development officer at several colleges and nonprofit organizations before retiring in 2015. She spends her time as a sculptor and enjoying retirement. Several of her pieces have won awards.

The couple has collaborated on three projects: “Hell Comes to Southern Maryland,” published by Turning Point Publications; “Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg: The Creation of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address,” published by the Emerging Civil War; and “The Antietam Paintings of James B. Hope,” published by Turning Point Publications.

They are collaborating on another book in the Emerging Civil War Series titled “After Gettysburg: Lee’s Retreat and Meade’s Pursuit.” That book probably will be published next year.

The Gottfrieds live in Fayetteville, Pa., and have five children and seven grandchildren.

Upcoming Meetings:

April 18: Pete Zablocki, “The Cumberland Disaster”

May 6: Spring Tour, Eric Lindblade, Licensed Gettysburg Guide, “General James Longstreet at Gettysburg”

May 16: Patrick Falci, “The Making of the Movie ‘Gettysburg’ ” (dinner meeting)

The Colonel Henry Ryerson Civil War Round Table provides educational programs, tours and fellowship for individuals interested in the Civil War era. Meetings are free and open to the public. Donations are always appreciated. For information, call Jennifer at 201-320-5989 during the day.