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.

Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) to Estelle Spero

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09120.560 Author/Creator: Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) Place Written: South Pacific Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 January 1944 Pagination: 5 p. ; 20.2 x 12.7 cm. Order a Copy

"Baptism of fire" letter. First air raid encounter with Japanese bombers. Year on letter is 1943 but content indicates it was written in 1944.

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