Portrait of a Washerwoman for the Union Army in Richmond, virginia with an American flag pinned to dress. Photographer: Unknown, Ca. 1862-65. Ambrotype. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, Photographic History Collection, Division of Information Technology and Communications, National Museum of American History.
January 1, 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. In commemoration, a number of institutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region briefly displayed copies of the hallowed document before whisking them necessarily back to climate controlled safety.
However, if you missed earlier events or want to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the promises it held there are still a number of exhibitions, lectures and programs available in the region: Read more.
From H-DC:
Encompassing a 500 mile land and water route, the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail tells the story of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake Bay region. Its purpose is to protect the sites that help contextualize the War of 1812 and the writing of the National Anthem. It is hoped the trail will help bring the history of the War of 1812 forward and connect it American culture today. Additionally, the trail will provide spaces for land and water based recreation.
In Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, more than 25 visitor centers have Star-Spangled Banner orientation kiosks, with plans for additional locations through 2013. The Star-Spangled National Historic Trail was established by Congress in 2008 and is administered by the National Parks Service. It was made possible through the cooperation of multiple local, state, and federal agencies and regional non-profit partners in the Chesapeake Bay area.
The trail is well served by its accompanying website, starspangledtrail.net . An interactive map helps visitors plan their visit by allowing them to construct maps that include—or don’t— water trails, land trails, information centers, and historic places, parks and monuments. By clicking on specific locations visitors can discover more information and even add it to “My Adventure Planner,” a customizable guide that brings addresses, hours and fees together in to one easily printable screen.
From the National Endowment for the Humanities:
The National Endowment for the Humanities announced $17M in grants for 208 humanities projects. The funding will support projects, fellowships for scholarly research, the creation of exhibits, digital tools and the preservation of humanities collections and reference resources. Institutions and independent scholars from 42 states and the District of Columbia will receive NEH support.
A list of the Mid-Atlantic region’s 57 recipients after the jump, full list of recipients available here.
Read more.
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. In honor of this event, we offer a list of War of 1812 events, exhibits, and news items. This list is by no means complete, but will hopefully offer a number of entry points into the bicentennial celebrations.
Maryland
Running now until April 13, 2012 is the War of 1812 Portrait Exhibit at the Maryland House of Delegates in Annapolis, Maryland. The exhibit features portraits rendered by Ann Monro Wood.
The Maryland Historical Society’s ongoing exhibit, With Broad Stripes and Bright Stars includes the original manuscript of the Star Spangled Banner, which has been incorporated into a new exhibit on Baltimore’s role in the War of 1812. Another exhibit, In Full Glory Reflected: Maryland During the War of 1812, opens June 10, 2012.
On April 15th, the Maryland Historical Society presents Silver & Gold for War of 1812 Officers, an installment of the Francis Scott Key Lecture Series (PDF). Ann Wagner, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts at Winterthur Museum will speak at 6:00 p.m at the Society.
Other upcoming speakers in the Francis Scott Key series include, Edward C. Papenfuse, Ph.D., Maryland State Archivist and Commissioner of Land Patents at the Maryland State Archives, and Carol Stoltis, Project Associate Curator, Center for American Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Dr. Papenfuse, Ph.D., will present his lecture Mapping Baltimore During the Era of the War of 1812 begins at 6:00 p.m. on October 4, 2012. Stoltis’ lecture, A Pacifist and the Defenders: Rembrandt Peale and His Portraits of Baltimore’s Heroes of the War of 1812, will be held November 1A, at 6:00 p.m.
From June 13-19, 2012, Baltimore will host The Star-Spangled Sailabration. An international parade of ships will sail into the Inner Harbor to launch the U.S. Bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812. The ships will start passing by Fort McHenry on June 12.
Currently on view at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum is Home of the Brave: The War of 1812 in Art, Story & Song. The exhibit runs through December 31, 2012:
Comprised of objects from the collection of Independence Seaport Museum, as well as loans from the Dietrich American Foundation and other private collectors, the exhibition explores the naval aspect of the War of 1812 through the lenses of art, material and popular culture, as well as first-hand accounts of participants and on-lookers.
New York Humanities Council Events:
On April 14, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. Tom Shanahan will present a lecture, 1812: Uncle Sam’s First War at the New York State Library in Albany, New York.
Raya Lee offers a lecture, War of 1812: Fury, Frenzy and Honor at the Wood Library in Canadaigua, New York on April 18, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
On April 19th, Dave Ruch offers a lecture/concert entitled The War of 1812: Songs and Stories from New York and Beyond. The event will be held at the Sardinia Meeting House in Sardinia, New York, starting at 7:00 p.m.
On April 23rd, at 6:00 p.m., Alfred Ronzoni will present From Battleground to Empire State: New York and the War of 1812 at York College, the City University of New York.
Robert W. Arnold III will present 1812: New York’s War, New York’s Impetus on April 25 at 7:00 p.m. at Herkimer County Community College.
From July 20, 2012 – July 21, 2012, the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site will host President Monroe Looks Back on the War of 1812. First-person interpreter Dennis Bigelow will portray Mr. Monroe in this unique event. http://www.nyhumanities.org/events/event.php?event_id=5066
Please note that a number of the New York Humanities Council events will be held in multiple locations in the next six months. Please see their events calendar for details.
From June 15, 2012 – January 27, 2013, the Smithsonian will host 1812: A Nation Emerges in the Portrait Gallery:
This exhibition tells the story of the war that one historian called, “the second American Revolution.” Through portraits and objects, it explores key people who influenced the turn of events, including President James Madison and Dolley Madison, General Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and the powerful Indian leader Tecumseh. The exhibition also follows the stories of soldiers, slaves, financiers, industrialists, artists, architects, Native Americans, and women. The victory at New Orleans became a national holiday and added to a growing sense of American nationalism. The epic battles and the aftermath known as “the era of good feelings” are central elements of this story, linked by the biographies of the extraordinary and colorful leaders whose lives shaped its direction.
The New York Humanities Council is accepting War of 1812 Mini Grants from now until September 20, 2012. Grants of up to $3,000 are available to present humanities-based public programs exploring the legacy of the War of 1812 in New York State. Eligibility requirements and application procedures are available online.
Last summer, an archaeological dig at the Plattsburgh Air Force Base uncovered military artifacts which indicated that the site was a winter encampment for soldiers during the War of 1812. Uniform buttons bearing the number 15 were uncovered, indicating that the U.S. Army’s 15th Regiment had occupied the site. More excavations are planned at the site this summer.
The National Park Service at the National Heritage Area in Baltimore, Maryland has developed a War of 1812 traveling exhibit. The exhibit is free and available to museums, libraries, and historical sites.
On the web:
Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission
Maryland Humanities Council War of 1812 Bicentennial: For information on special events, organizations, and media and archives collections.
The Official War of 1812 Bicentennial: a binational site with an events calendar covering events in Canada and the United States.
From The Ford’s Theater (fords.org):
In the new Center for Education and Leadership, visitors will explore the lasting effect Abraham Lincoln’s presidency—and its untimely end—have had on our country.
Currently under construction and set to open in February 2012, the new Center will be located at 514 10th Street, NW, across the street from the theatre and adjacent to the Petersen House, where Lincoln died.
The Center plans include two floors of permanent exhibits centered on Lincoln’s assassination and its aftermath, as well as the evolution of Lincoln’s legacy; two floors of education studios for workshops, school programs, and teacher professional development; and a Leadership Gallery floor for short-term exhibits, lectures, and receptions.
The Center opens on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, with special President’s Day events scheduled for February 20th.
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