Press Release--Smithsonian Civil War

Smithsonian Civil War: Inside the National Collection

By the Smithsonian Institution; Edited by Neil Kagan; Foreword by Jon Meacham

The Smithsonian offers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at its incomparable Civil War treasures in Smithsonian Civil War: Inside the National Collection. This stunning book features 150 entries commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War. Each entry tells a unique Civil War story illustrated by objects handpicked by Smithsonian curators and historians. Tens of thousands of objects in the national collection were evaluated; the objects that shined as the most valuable, significant, and interesting have been artfully arranged in the ultimate Civil War coffee-table gift  book of the season.

The treasures range from famous historical icons—notably the original “Old Glory” flag and the hat Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theatre on the night he was assassinated—to rare, fragile, and seldom-seen artifacts selected from cabinets, store rooms, and locked vaults. The Smithsonian’s Civil War collection has never been showcased like this before, because many of these historical gems are brought to light for the very first time.

 

The entries cover the full range of this devastating conflict, from pre-war through the war and Reconstruction, and draw objects from twelve national museums and archives. The National Portrait Gallery provides rare early photographs of Stonewall Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant. From the National Museum of American History comes a slave-ship manifest listing its human cargo as well as secret messages that had been hidden inside Lincoln’s gold watch for almost 150 years. The National Air and Space Museum contributes futuristic aircraft designs from the Civil War era. Objects as diverse as sculptures and posters, jewelry and military uniforms, and weaponry and battlefield objects complete this unique, panoramic view of the Civil War.

Smithsonian Civil War is authoritatively written by the Smithsonian curators responsible for preserving and interpreting priceless treasures from America’s past. The narratives are illustrated with more than 450 color photographs of the Civil War treasures from the national collection, including all-new photography of three-dimensional objects. Featuring a foreword by acclaimed historian Jon Meacham, Smithsonian Civil War is a must-have for history lovers and Civil War buffs alike. This is history as only the Smithsonian can tell it.

About the author:

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION is the largest museum complex in the world. Smithsonian Civil War features objects from 12 Smithsonian museums and research centers and text by 49 curators with expertise in a variety of fields. NEIL KAGAN specializes in producing innovative illustrated books. As the former publisher for Time-Life Books, he created numerous book series, including Voices of the Civil War, Our American Century, and What Life Was Like. He has edited Great Battles of the Civil War, Great Photographs of the Civil War, Concise History of the World, Eyewitness to the Civil War, Atlas of the Civil War, and The Untold Civil War.

About the book:

Title: Smithsonian Civil War: Inside the National Collection

By Smithsonian Institution; edited by Neil Kagan; foreword by Jon Meacham.

On-Sale Date: 10/29/2013

Price: $40.00 / Pages: 368

ISBN: 978-1-58834-389-5

Smithsonian Books