Chadd’s Ford
1897
Ernest Peixotto captured this atmospheric scene at Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania, in October 1897, sketching a monument dedicated to the Marquis de Lafayette. You can clearly see 'LAFAYETTE' carved into the stone pedestal, which supports a tall, fluted column rising behind a formidable, spiky iron fence. The artist used quick, scratchy pen strokes and subtle washes to depict the overgrown grass and rustic wooden fences in the background, giving it a feeling of quiet isolation. This spot is historically significant as the site of the Battle of Brandywine, where Lafayette was wounded, making this a poignant historical record.