African American exhibit

[Thomas Lapsley]

The Los Angeles Public Library is hosting an exhibit: "African American Military Portraits from the American Civil War". The exhibit is provided by the California African American Museum and is located at the central library's Getty Gallery from January 20 thru April 4. 2015.

[LincolnToddFan]

I plan to see it in a couple of weeks!

[L Verge]

This past Saturday at Surratt House, we had an excellent program on African American surgeons and nurses during the Civil War. Nearly 70 visitors were present, and all were surprised that 13 black surgeons have been identified thus far. We all thought that the number would be less.

I knew of two going into the lecture: Anderson Ruffin Abbott that I discussed with Thomas Kearney last week, and another named Delaney. After the war, black surgeons worked with the old Contraband/Freedmen's Hospital in D.C., which is now Howard University Hospital. Freedmen's grew out of the need for medical care for the thousands of newly freed slaves who flocked into the contraband camps in the nation's capital during the war.

Our speaker was Jill Newmark from the National Library of Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Martin Delaney did meet with Abraham Lincoln:
http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/insid...ubjectID=4
He was one of the first three blacks admitted to Harvard Medical School.

[LincolnToddFan]

I just got back from the LA Public Library exhibit on African-Americans in uniform during the Civil War. Let me say straight off that I was NOT prepared to be as overwhelmed as I was. There were beautiful, immaculately preserved blue wool Union coats and uniforms in glass cases, along with a decorative sword. There were actual artifacts from the battlefield at Shiloh...a corrugated eating utensil from a soldiers camp, a bottle from which someone drank makeshift beer, even a soldier's toothbrush(without the brush of course). The toothbrushes used in the 19th century look surprisingly like ours. There were haunting photos...a few of these "soldiers" were just little boys!

I was most affected by a bullet displayed in a glass case that bore very obvious tooth marks. In the absence of morphine or chloroform during battlefield surgeries, the soldiers' only recourse was to literally bite the bullet.

The exhibit itself was displayed in the Library's art deco Getty Gallery, with it's vaulted ceilings and beautiful murals. In the background soft music played...renditions of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Battle Cry of Freedom, We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder(Soldiers of the Cross) which I remember from Ken Burns' Civil War mini-series.

The whole experience was wonderful. I am so grateful that the Library of Congress allowed these priceless Civil War artifacts to travel here to El-Lay!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks for sharing and letting us see this a bit via your report, Toia!

[RJNorton]

I would like to second Eva. Thank you for sharing your observations, Toia! (Would you believe neither Vicki or I have never once set foot in California.)

[LincolnToddFan]

It's a little too warm for comfort right now Roger, it's been close to 90 degrees for several days. But I should not complain. I've been keeping abreast of the horror stories being told about the cold snap in the East and the Midwest.

You and Vicki must come visit soon. And look me up!

Eva, I have just now read the article with the link for the Martin Delany's meeting with AL...fascinating! Thanks!

[Eva Elisabeth]

90℉ is most comfortable - perfect well-being temperature IMO!!! Impossible not to be envious...

[LincolnToddFan]

Oh Eva my friend, I forgot how much you like the heat. I like WARM weather, not hot. And I hate to sweat!