New exhibition The Civil War Begins opens December 15;
Today in the Civil War blog offers daily look at the unfolding saga of the War; Jazz musician Dave Burrell to perform Portraits of Civil War Heroes, January 19 & 22

PHILADELPHIA — The Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia is home to an extraordinary and unique Civil War-era collection. Beginning in November 2010, the museum will present several programs commemorating Civil War 150 – the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War – from the exhibition The Civil War Begins, to the five-year blog project Today in the Civil War, and a newly commissioned musical composition by jazz pianist Dave Burrell.

Rich in important materials related to the Civil War, the Rosenbach’s collections include letters and documents by Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and many other political and military leaders, alongside letters from soldiers and materials about slavery and abolition.

The Rosenbach Museum & Library is located at 2008-2010 Delancey Place in Philadelphia and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students and free for children under 5. For more information, please call (215) 732-1600 or visit www.rosenbach.org.

The Civil War Begins
Wednesday, December 15, 2010 – Sunday, July 17, 2011

The exhibition The Civil War Begins, on display December 15, 2010 thru July 17, 2011, explores the war’s causes and earliest days, as seen through documents in the Rosenbach’s collection. These documents provide a chance to enter into the rhetoric, mindset, and experience of those who confronted an increasingly divided, and eventually broken, United States. Topics addressed in the exhibition range from the pre-war wrangling over abolition and states’ rights, through the election of Lincoln and the secession winter, to the bombing of Fort Sumter and the advent of armed conflict.

Objects on display include:

• Eyewitness drawings by newspaper correspondents at the trial of John Brown.
    
• Robert E. Lee’s letter to Winfield Scott resigning from the U.S. Army and vowing “save in the defense of my native State, I never desire again to draw my sword.”

• Contemporary newspapers relaying breaking news of the attack on Fort Sumter.
    
• The letter book of the Confederate Commissioners who were sent to Washington in 1861 to win recognition for the Confederacy.

• A detailed official report on the Battle of Manassas by the commanding Confederate general P.G.T Beauregard.

Today in the Civil War

The blog Today in the Civil War presents the unfolding saga of the War through a rare look at Civil War-era manuscripts, newspapers, photos, and printed books. Today in the Civil War, which launched on November 6, 2010, the 150th anniversary of the election of Abraham Lincoln, will run for five-years through April 2015, the full duration of the Civil War.

Documents presented in Today in the Civil War will include diaries and letters from ordinary civilians and soldiers, along with material from Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, P.G.T Beauregard, Elmer Ellsworth, Belle Boyd, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and many others. Documents bearing an exact date (e.g. letters, newspapers) will be posted to the blog on that date (150 years later), recreating the progression of the war for readers who will be able to follow recurring characters and themes over time as well as enjoy singular documents from famous figures.

The first posts to the blog have included excerpts from Philadelphia artist John Henry Brown’s journal and a letter written to Elmer Ellsworth, the first Union officer killed in the War. To follow the unfolding conflict through the words of the people who lived it, visit www.rosenbach.org/civilwar.

Portraits of Civil War Heroes
A World Premier Performance by Dave Burrell
Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 6pm – 8pm
Saturday, January 22, 2011, 3pm – 5pm

Steinway Artist, famed jazz pianist, and Rosenbach Musician-in-Residence Dave Burrell will perform Portraits of Civil War Heroes, a suite of five new compositions commissioned by the Rosenbach and inspired by the museum’s Civil War materials, on January 19 and 22, 2011. Burrell will also discuss the new works, which focus on prominent figures from the early days of the Civil War, including John Brown, Elmer Ellsworth, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee.

A distinguished composer-pianist of singular stature on the contemporary international music scene, Dave Burrell has performed on over 115 recordings, 30 under his own name, in his more than 30-year career. The performance is free with museum admission. To RSVP, call (215) 732-1600 ext. 123 or email rsvp [at] rosenbach [dot] org.

The Rosenbach will announce additional programs and events related to the museum’s Civil War collection and the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil Warsoon. Visit www.rosenbach.org for up-to-date museum news and event listings.

Visitor Information

Where:  The Rosenbach Museum & Library
2008-2010 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Hours: Tuesday: 12-5pm; Wednesday & Thursday: 12-8pm
Friday: 12-5pm; Saturday & Sunday: 12-6pm
Closed Mondays and National Holidays

Admission: Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors,
$5 for students and free for children under 5

Information:     (215) 732-1600or visit www.rosenbach.org

Image Credits (Access files in the Downloads section above):

1. File name: Rosenbach-War Declared.jpg
Credit: War Declared!! [Potosi?, Missouri: 1861]. Courtesy of the Rosenbach Museum & Library.

2. File name: Rosenbach-Charleston Mercury 4-13-1861.jpg
Credit: Charleston Mercury. 13 April 1861. Courtesy of the Rosenbach Museum & Library.