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.

C. E. Cate & Co. [Advertisement for clothing for slaves from New Orleans, Louisiana]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08210 Author/Creator: C. E. Cate & Co. Place Written: New Orleans, Louisiana Type: Printed document Date: August 1860 Pagination: 2 p. 8" x 10" Order a Copy

Circular advertises slave shoes and hats by type, virtues, and price aimed at plantation owners who would have to clothe many slaves for reasonable prices. This company specialized in clothing products for slaves. The circular was published a few months prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Since New Orleans was in Union hands by mid 1862, this brochure is very rare.

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