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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.

Gardner, Alexander (1821-1882) [Wreckage of heavy artillery piece including gun, carriage, and unused shells]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05111.01.0143 Author/Creator: Gardner, Alexander (1821-1882) Place Written: s.l. Type: Photograph Date: Pagination: 1 albumen print ; 24.2 x 18 cm. Order a Copy

A print of a photograph showing the remains of a heavy artillery piece. The unused spherical shells scattered across the image include wooden sabots attached to the shells by tin straps. The top of the shell in the center of the image displays where the fuze would be attached. This type of smoothbore munition was commonly used by Confederate artillery.

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