The Last Full Measure: Civil War Photographs from the Liljenquist Family Collection
April 12, 2011–August 13, 2011
This exhibition, drawn from a recent gift, features Civil War-era ambrotype and tintype photographs of Union and Confederate soldiers. The collection’s detailed portraits document the soldier uniforms, weapons, musical instruments and other possessions and include significant representation of African American troops and the families of soldiers. The exhibition marks the beginning of the Library’s sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War and brings new attention to the war as a seminal event in American history.
Read more about
The Last Full Measure: Civil War Photographs from the Liljenquist Family Collection
»
The exhibition is made possible through the generous support of HISTORY®, the Liljenquist family, and Union Pacific Corporation.
The Collectors and the Collection
In 2010, local businessman Tom Liljenquist and sons Jason, Brandon, and Christian began donating more than 700 ambrotypes and tintypes of Union and Confederate Civil War soldiers to the Library of Congress.
Read more »
The Photographic Processes
The invention of wet collodion photography processes in the 1850s led to the development of two new kinds of photographs—ambrotypes and tintypes.
Read more »
Photographers and Their Studios
Photographic portraiture flourished during the Civil War. Ambrotype and tintype photographs were not only affordable, but a finished product could be produced in a matter of minutes.
Read more »
Revealing Details
Unidentified insignia on hats, buttons, coats, and belt buckles may provide information about the various regiment in which the soldiers served.
Read more »