BOSTON—The American Civil War marked a bloody turning point in American history. This month the Boston public library will begin an eight-month commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
“This vivid commemoration combines the best of modern scholarship with the richness of the Boston Public Library’s historic collections,” said Amy E. Ryan, president of the Boston Public Library in a press release. “Our goal is to bring the Civil War to life for all our users, whether they visit an exhibition, borrow a title from a book list, attend a lecture, or enjoy a concert of Civil War-era music.”
Four complementary exhibitions will be on show as part of the commemoration. First is “Torn in Two,” which showcases 50 historic maps interwoven with 40 photographs, paintings, prints, diaries, political cartoons, music, and press of the period—all drawn from the Boston Public Library’s special collections. The next is a display of Boston
“This vivid commemoration combines the best of modern scholarship with the richness of the Boston Public Library’s historic collections,” said Amy E. Ryan, president of the Boston Public Library in a press release. “Our goal is to bring the Civil War to life for all our users, whether they visit an exhibition, borrow a title from a book list, attend a lecture, or enjoy a concert of Civil War-era music.”
Four complementary exhibitions will be on show as part of the commemoration. First is “Torn in Two,” which showcases 50 historic maps interwoven with 40 photographs, paintings, prints, diaries, political cartoons, music, and press of the period—all drawn from the Boston Public Library’s special collections. The next is a display of Boston
native Winslow Homer’s illustrations. A collection of illustrated weeklies depict his portrayal of rural life in America, the brutality of the Civil War, the changing roles of women, and the favorite pastimes of the American people. Also on display are Civil War photographs by Matthew Brady, his colleague Alexander Gardner, and others from the Brady studio. The “Home Front” exhibit is a personal look at the impact of the war on Boston and its citizens.
“The extraordinary collections of the Boston Public Library allow us to connect modern audiences with actual artifacts from the period in powerful and exciting ways. For many people, seeing the real things makes this historic conflict—and its people—come to life,” said Beth Prindle, Exhibitions manager at the Boston Public Library in a press release.
The exhibition will include lectures, guided tours, film series, musical events, period reenactors and online displays.
The library has put together www.bpl.org/civilwar to share the exhibit with audiences around the world.
“The extraordinary collections of the Boston Public Library allow us to connect modern audiences with actual artifacts from the period in powerful and exciting ways. For many people, seeing the real things makes this historic conflict—and its people—come to life,” said Beth Prindle, Exhibitions manager at the Boston Public Library in a press release.
The exhibition will include lectures, guided tours, film series, musical events, period reenactors and online displays.
The library has put together www.bpl.org/civilwar to share the exhibit with audiences around the world.
