An American Treasure in Words and Images
A soldier’s pocket diary. A military commission bearing Abraham Lincoln’s signature. A photograph of African American troops on parade at Camp William Penn. A telegram announcing Lee’s surrender. The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia preserves connections to the people who experienced America’s defining conflict. Its collection brings national events into personal focus through the faces, words, and possessions of those who lived them. Harold Holzer, noted Civil War historian and former Co-Chair of the United States Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, captured its importance: “The Civil War Museum’s collection is truly an American treasure.”
One legacy preserved through two collections
Over its history, the Museum assembled a collection encompassing some 3,000 artifacts, several thousand photographs, hundreds of works of art, scores of maps and charts, and nearly 100 linear feet of letters, diaries, muster rolls, and other archival materials. More than 80 percent of these materials came directly from Civil War veterans or their descendants—a remarkable connection between the collection and the people whose experiences it preserves. Representing every state that contributed to the Union war effort, along with a smaller but significant body of Confederate material, this historic collection spans military service and civilian life. Today, its three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional materials are preserved through separate arrangements that carry forward a shared educational purpose.
The three-dimensional collection includes weapons, uniforms, field equipment, flags, medical supplies, and other objects. In 2016, ownership of this collection was transferred to the Gettysburg Foundation. Artifacts are exhibited at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. A partnership with the National Constitution Center also ensures that a significant portion is permanently exhibited in Philadelphia.
The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia retains its two-dimensional collection: letters, diaries, photographs, artwork, maps, sheet music, currency, books, periodicals, and the Museum’s archives. These materials are housed at the Union League in Philadelphia and curated by Founding Forward staff under a multi-year stewardship agreement. The highlights that follow explore this collection of words and images.
The people behind the history
Portraits introduce soldiers, sailors, officers, and families—from Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and George Gordon Meade to individuals whose names rarely appear in history books. Tintypes, glass photographs, and small photographic calling cards preserve faces once treasured by loved ones. Diaries, personal letters, pocket Bibles, and hymn books reveal military service alongside faith, family ties, and everyday concerns. One officer’s sketchbook even includes a poem about his dog. These intimate traces remind us that the people who made history also worried about home, cherished friendships, and sought comfort amid uncertainty.
A nation at war
Battlefield maps, recruiting posters, military orders, commissions, and discharge papers trace the passage from enlistment to service and homecoming. Highlights include General Meade’s July 4, 1863, order congratulating the Army of the Potomac on its victory at Gettysburg; correspondence signed by Grant and Admiral David Farragut; and a wartime telegram reporting Lee’s surrender. Naval photographs reveal ironclads, gun crews, and life aboard Union warships. Confederate currency, bonds, and official stationery offer another perspective on the conflict.
Philadelphia and the struggle for freedom
The collection has deep connections to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Photographs document Pennsylvania regiments and the women of the Cooper Shop Refreshment Saloon’s volunteer committee. An album prepared for Philadelphia’s 1864 Sanitary Fair brings together portraits and signatures of leading Union figures, linking national leadership with the city’s efforts to support those serving. Materials relating to African American military service include a Camp William Penn parade photograph, a Black soldier’s commemorative discharge certificate, and publications of the Free Military School for Applicants for Command of Colored Troops. Issues of The Liberator preserve the printed voice of abolitionism.
Families and the home front
The two-dimensional collection also brings civilian experiences into view. Family correspondence and personal images help us consider the demands of sustaining households and enduring separation and loss. Photographs of women involved in wartime relief and the album prepared for Philadelphia’s 1864 Sanitary Fair connect these personal experiences with organised efforts to support those serving. Together, these materials broaden our understanding of a conflict whose demands reached far beyond the battlefield.
Loss and remembrance
Lincoln portraits, assassination coverage, funeral music, and a photograph of his funeral train in Philadelphia convey a nation’s mourning. Reunion photographs, monument dedications, and veterans’ records carry the story beyond 1865, showing how survivors and their families commemorated service and shaped the war’s public memory.
Where to encounter the collection today
The stories preserved by the Museum reach far beyond a single location. Through donations and loans, materials from its historic collection connect audiences with Civil War history at museums, archives, and other institutions in Philadelphia and across the country. Explore the organizations below to discover these connections and plan your next encounter with the past.
National Constitution Center
Founding Forward at the Union League
Gettysburg Foundartion
Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum & Archive
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania National Guard Armory
Battleship New Jersey
LancasterHistory
Historical Society of Montgomery County, PA
New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center
Grand Army of the Republic Hall & Museum of Lynn, MA
Michigan’s GAR Memorial Hall & Museum
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Naval History and Heritage Command
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Dames of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Exhibitions, access arrangements, and the availability of individual artifacts vary. Please consult each institution before visiting.
For students, educators, researchers, family historians, and curious readers, the collection offers countless starting points for discovery.
Every face invites a question. Every document opens a story.
