"Looking Back" is coming to Brownsville

During the Civil War, 19-year-old Sarah Madison Taylor wrote in her diary of one of Col. Fielding Hurst's raids on Brownsville. This photograph and her diary are prime examples of items being sought by the Tennessee State Library and Archives during the "Looking Back" event.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) will send a team of professional archivist and conservators to Brownsville, Tenn., September 9-10, in an effort to digitally preserve Civil War era manuscripts, artifacts and photographs held in private hands. Area residents are invited to document these items and other artifacts during the two day event that will be held at the Delta Heritage Center.

Items will be scanned or photographed and returned to the owner within an hour. Participants will receive basic conservation supplies for their items, digital copies of the images and the opportunity to have their Civil War memorabilia preserved, digitized and shared online for future generations. Digital copies of these items, representing the Civil War heritage of Tennessee families, will become part of a virtual exhibit, "Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee."

All items will be carefully handled in accordance with archival standards and returned to their owners. Items eligible for digitization include: all items pertaining to the Civil War; letters, photographs, diaries, weapons (swords, knives, etc.), military passes and discharges, hand-drawn maps and sketches and uniforms. Items must be original (no photocopies) and owned by the person bringing them in.

Those wishing to participate must contact TSLA to reserve an appointment time. Call 615-253-3470 or email civilwar.tsla@tn.gov. Reservation request forms are available at the Delta Heritage Center, 121 Sunny Hill Cove, Brownsville.

Lincoln exhibit looks at Civil War era political cartoons

Interpretive panels look at Lincoln and the issue of slavery through the political cartoons of the Civil War era and particularly the 1860 presidential election.

The national traveling exhibition Looking at Lincoln: Political Cartoons from the Civil War Era will be on display at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn., now through March 30. Included in the exhibit is select editorial cartoons from the local Felsenthal Lincoln Collection. The exhibit is free and opens to the public Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m.

A special program on Abraham Lincoln will be presented Sunday, March 25, from 2-4 p.m. The program will include Lincoln's second inaugural address delivered by Ken Jones, Associate Professor of Biology at Dyersburg State College. Jones is widely known for his one-man portrayals of the sixteenth president.

Ken Jones, professor at Dyersburg State, will present his portrayal of Lincoln in a one-main show featuring Lincoln's second inaugural address Sunday, March 25, at 2 p.m..

The exhibit, developed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York, explores images, especially cartoons, as a way of investigating Lincoln in the context of his times. These cartoons are vividly biting; they invite us to put aside twenty-first century assumptions and look at events through the eyes of people living in the era. Among the highlights are: a California printing of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln and political cartoons relating to the election of 1860.

The theme of the exhibition explores the Civil War and issues of slavery from the standpoint of political cartoons. These cartoons appeared in newspapers and were sold individually. Artists and citizens who created these images lived in a century in which racism was deeply ingrained in American life.

As a companion, the exhibit also includes editorial cartoons from the Felsenthal Lincoln Collection. These cartoons from the 1950s and 60s use Lincoln as comparison for current events of the day. Believed to be the largest individually owned collection of Lincoln memorabilia in the Southeast, the collection was donated to the citizens of Haywood County by Morton Felsenthal upon his death in 1983. Felsenthal spent his lifetime collecting books and memorabilia concerning Lincoln. Many of the original cartoons on display were signed by the artist and include personal notes to Felsenthal.

The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is a tourist information center and home to three regional museums located at Exit 56 off of Interstate 40 in Brownsville. For more information about the Center, visit www.westtnheritage.com or call 731-779-9000.

Shiloh Battlefield to Host National Park Week Events

Superintendent Woody Harrell is pleased to announce that Shiloh National Military Park will be hosting special programs during National Park Week 2011. Join us April 16th–24th as America celebrates this week long observance.

“We are eager to host events for National Park Week 2011. This is an opportunity for all Americans to learn more about their parks. To coincide with these special programs being offered at Shiloh Battlefield, this week has also been designated a fee free week.” stated Superintendent Harrell.

In conjunction with National Park Week, Shiloh National Military Park will present a different program starting on Sunday April 17, 2011. The interpretive programs will provide visitors the opportunity to learn about the vast cultural and natural resources of Shiloh Battlefield, added Harrell. 

The programs for the upcoming week are listed below, and visitors may register, and receive additional information about each program by contacting the Shiloh visitor center at 731-689-5696.

April 17 (5pm) Arial Acrobats of the Night (Bat Program) meets at Shiloh visitor center

April 18 (1pm-3:30pm) Shiloh Indian Mound Program Series meets at the Shiloh Indian Mound kiosk

April 19 (6pm) The Establishment of Shiloh National Military Park meets at Shiloh visitor center

April 20 (5pm) Meet the Eagles meets at Shiloh visitor center at 5pm

              (11am) Meet the Eagles meets at Tennessee River Museum

April 21 (6pm) The Civil War Begins: Fort Sumter meets at Shiloh visitor center

              (1:30pm) Arial Acrobats of the Night (Bat Program) meets at Tennessee River Museum

April 22 (9-1, 1-4) All Day Tours of Shiloh Battlefield meets at Shiloh visitor center

               (11am) The Establishment of Shiloh National Military Park meets at Tennessee River Museum

April 23 (9am) Junior Ranger Day meets at Shiloh visitor center

April 24 (1:30pm) The Monuments of Shiloh: Memorials of Stone meets at Shiloh visitor center