American Civil War Photographs and Images and Grand Army of the Republic Photographs and Images
Scope and Contents
Images in this collection predominantly relate to the American Civil War—its battles, rank and file soldiers, leaders, veterans, politics and symbolism. A large portion of this material focuses on soldiers and leaders from Illinois, with a wider focus on soldiers from the American Midwest. Many formats are represented, from early photographic formats like tintypes to postcards to oil paintings.
Dates
- 1857-2008
- Majority of material found within 1861 - 1866
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions. Large and/or framed images may only be viewable through reference photographs.
Conditions Governing Use
Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.
Biographical / Historical
Near the end of 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Within a few months, ten more states had seceded. The American Civil War officially began April 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Illinois participated on the Union side by sending hundreds of thousands of troops into battle. Many military and political leaders trace their roots to Illinois. The war lasted nearly four years, ending on April 9, 1865, when the Confederacy surrendered. A few days later, on April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
Not long after the war ended, veterans began forming organizations. One of the longest-lasting was the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), begun in April 1866 in Decatur, Illinois. Posts were established in different places, grouped under state-level departments, in turn grouped under a national commandery-in-chief. The GAR disbanded in 1956 when the last veteran died.
In Chicago, the GAR Memorial Hall Association shared space with Chicago Public Library (CPL). In 1883, the Library Board chose the corner of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street as the location for its future building. At the time, the site was vacant and known as Dearborn Park, named for its proximity to the site of Fort Dearborn. Because of this proximity, many people believed the land was reserved for the GAR. Ultimately, legal action determined the library could have the land, but it had to make room for the GAR, which wanted a memorial hall for its members. CPL gave the GAR extensive rooms and signed a fifty-year lease that expired in 1947. At that time, the Library took over caring for the GAR’s significant collection of art, artifacts, papers, weapons and more. With the GAR’s material as a base, the library has continued to build its Civil War collection over the years, with a focus on the Illinois experience.
Extent
18 Linear Feet (in 22 boxes and 27 oversize folders, plus 31 framed items)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Images in this collection predominantly relate to the American Civil War—its battles, rank and file soldiers, leaders, veterans, politics and symbolism. A large portion of this material focuses on soldiers and leaders from Illinois, with a wider focus on soldiers from the American Midwest. Many formats are represented, from early photographic formats like tintypes to postcards to oil paintings. Selected items from this collection are available in the Library's Wayne Whalen Digital Archive of the Grand Army of the Republic and Civil War Collections.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in five series:
Series 1: Individuals, 1857-2008, undated
Series 2: Two or More Individuals, 1861-1907, undated
Series 3: Commemoration, 1865-circa 1960, undated
Series 4: Scenes of Active Duty, 1861-1935, undated
Series 5: Illustrated Documents and Symbolic or Political Art, 1862-2006, undated
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials are all related to the American Civil War. They were acquired through a variety of means over the years. Those items with accession numbers beginning with “72” were originally part of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Collection. The items with accession numbers beginning with a number other than “72” were either donated to or purchased by Chicago Public Library.
- Andersonville Prison
- Black, John Charles, 1839-1915
- Booth, John Wilkes, 1838-1865
- Brady, Mathew B., approximately 1823-1896
- Bragg, Edward S. (Edward Stuyvesant), 1827-1912
- Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881
- Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893
- Custer, George A. (George Armstrong), 1839-1876
- Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889
- Douglas, Stephen A. (Stephen Arnold), 1813-1861
- Duryée, Abram, 1815-1890
- Ellsworth, E. E. (Elmer Ephraim), 1837-1861
- Farragut, David Glasgow, 1801-1870
- Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882
- Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Grand Army of the Republic
- Grant, Julia Dent, 1826-1902
- Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
- Halleck, H. W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872
- Hamlin, Hannibal, 1809-1891
- Hancock, Winfield Scott, 1824-1886
- Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879
- Howard, O. O. (Oliver Otis), 1830-1909
- Kilpatrick, Judson, 1836-1881
- Lane, John R. (John Randolph), 1835-1908
- Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870
- Libby Prison
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
- Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-1882
- Lincoln, Robert Todd, 1843-1926
- Lincoln, Thomas, 1853-1871
- Logan, John Alexander, 1826-1886
- McClellan, George B. (George Brinton), 1826-1885
- McConnell, Charles H.
- McPherson, James Birdseye, 1828-1864
- Meade, George Gordon, 1815-1872
- Missionary Ridge, Battle of, Tenn., 1863 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Pleasonton, Alfred, 1824-1897
- Porter, David D. (David Dixon), 1813-1891
- Ransom, Thomas Edwin Greenfield, 1834-1864
- Rosecrans, William S. (William Starke), 1819-1898
- Rousseau, Lovell Harrison, 1818-1869
- Scott, Winfield, 1786-1866
- Sheridan, , Philip Henry, 1831-1888
- Sherman, William T. ( William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
- Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Slocum, Henry Warner, 1826-1894
- Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869
- Thomas, George H. (George Henry), 1816-1870
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Pictorial works Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Portraits Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States. Army. Illinois Infantry Regiment, 11th (1861-1865)
- United States. Army. Illinois Infantry Regiment, 77th (1862-1865)
- United States. Army. Illinois Light Artillery Regiment, 1st (1861-1865). Battery B
- United States. Army. Infantry Division, 4th. Brigade, 3rd
- United States. Army. Michigan Infantry Regiment, 24th (1862-1865)
- Vicksburg (Miss.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Volck, Adalbert John, 1828-1912
- Wallace, William Hervy Lamme, 1821-1862
- Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878
Source
- Grand Army of the Republic (Organization)
- Black, John Charles, 1839-1915 (Person)
- Dickenson, Albert (Person)
- Finnegan, Edward R., Mrs. (Person)
- Gadwood, Joseph A. (Person)
- Grand Army of the Republic. George H. Thomas Post No. 5 (Chicago, Ill.) (Organization)
- Gunther, Charles F. (Person)
- Horner, Benjamin (Person)
- Jones, J. Russell (Person)
- Lamb, J.W. (Person)
- McConnell, Charles H. (Person)
- McKinnie, P.L., Dr. (Person)
- Miller, Marie Roos (Person)
- Neu, A.M. (Person)
- Rust, Henry A., Major (Person)
- Saunders, H.K. (Person)
- Smyth, J.M., Hon. (Person)
- Taylor, Gwendolyn E., Dr. (Person)
- Van Horn, LeRoy (Person)
- Wait, Horatio L. (Person)
- Wright, Raymond Parmente (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the American Civil War Photographs and Images and Grand Army of the Republic Photographs and Images
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Johanna Russ, December 2017. Some preliminary processing done by Amber Creger, 2005, and Special Collections staff. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Michelle McCoy, 2023.
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Unit at Harold Washington Library Center Repository
Harold Washington Library Center, 9th Floor
Chicago Public Library
400 S. State Street
Chicago IL 60605 United States
(312) 747-4875
specoll@chipublib.org