Featured Acquisition:
Liljenquist Family Collection

Close to 700 ambrotype and tintype photographs highlight both Union and Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. The Liljenquist Family sought out high quality images to represent the impact of the war, especially the young enlisted men. The photographs often show hats, firearms, canteens, musical instruments, painted backdrops, and other details that enhance the research value of the collection

Among the rarest images are African Americans in uniform, sailors, a Lincoln campaign button, and portraits of soldiers with their wives and children. A few personal stories survived in notes pinned to the photo cases, but most of the people and photographers are unidentified. Tom Liljenquist donated the entire collection to the Library in 2010. An exhibition of the collection will commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War in April 2011. (Note: Only the online images are available due to exhibition preparations.)

View collection (new images added each week) |
Read an essay: From the Donor's Perspective: The Last Full Measure |
View a slide show: Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs

[Unidentified young soldier in Confederate shell jacket, Hardee hat with Mounted Rifles insignia …] [between 1861 and 1865] http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.27165	[Unidentified young soldier in uniform and forage cap with revolver] [between 1861 and 1865]  http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.26901
[Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters] [between 1863 and 1865] http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.26454	[Five unidentified soldiers in Union uniform of the 6th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia outfitted with Enfield muskets in front of encampment] [between 1861 and 1865] http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.27124