A Lock in the Rhone Canal, German Alsace

This ink wash sketch by Ernest Clifford Peixotto documents a strategic location along the Rhone Canal during World War I. The composition centers on the canal lock's industrial geometry, with a German village visible across the landscape at left. Two Allied soldiers man a Chauchat gun emplacement positioned on the right bank, their defensive post overlooking the waterway. Peixotto's economical technique—spare linework combined with tonal washes—captures both architectural detail and atmospheric depth. Created for the War Department, the drawing served documentary purposes, recording military installations and terrain that defined the conflict's western theater.