Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Sartain, John (1808-1897) Home on a Furlough

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02980.02 Author/Creator: Sartain, John (1808-1897) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Print Date: 1864 Pagination: 1 engraving : col. ; 45 x 58.3 cm. Order a Copy

Hand colored engraving based off the original design of Christian Schussele. Published by Bradley & Co. at 66th North Fourth Street in Philadelphia. Caption under the title says: "To the loyal mothers, wives and daughters, of our country this engraving is respectfully dedicated." Central image depicts a returned Union soldier with his loving wife holding his baby daughter, while the rest of the extended family throngs around him. Everything converges on the soldier. Depicts a neat home with the trappings of a harmonious and industrious household, including tools and animals. A beautiful, tree-filled landscape fills the background.

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