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

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09120.046 Author/Creator: Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) Place Written: Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: circa. early summer 1942 Pagination: 9 p. ; 18.5 x 27 cm. Order a Copy

Describes the experience of being subjected to a dose of chloracetophenone (tear gas) in order to demonstrate to the soldiers the value of the gas mask. Outlines the rest of the day's schedule - a class in military customs and the History of chemical warfare, a class on the identification of airplanes, a session during which the company were forced to lay out field wire and telephones and sessions with both the rifle and revolver. Explains the etymological root of the expression, a "gig", meaning a special detail assigned after hours as a mode of punishment

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources