Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library and Northampton County Library Host Civil War Photo Exhibit

Oct. 8, 2012 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. – The Civil War savaged lives yet secured the future of generations in North Carolina and the rest of the nation, and altered the course of American history. The injustices faced by African Americans were some of the most significant factors leading to the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fight for liberation is just one of many moving features of the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit” (www.nccivilwar150.com) which is visiting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library from Oct. 2-29 and the Northampton County Memorial Library in Jackson Oct. 1-26.


The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography.  The “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” exhibit provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and now.


The exhibit will commemorate the bravery and resiliency of North Carolinians throughout the Civil War with stimulating images gathered from the State Archives (www.archives.ncdcr.gov), the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org), and State Historic Sites (www.nchistoricsites.org). A total of 24 images will be displayed by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncdcr.gov) in 50 libraries and four museums throughout the state from April 2011 through May 2013. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and also seeking viewer comments.


The collection depicts African Americans, women and militiamen, including images of artifacts and official documents. One image is a political cartoon from Harper’s Weekly magazine questioning the impact of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and pointing to continued suffering of African Americans.

The statewide tour will present various aspects of North Carolinians in the Civil War and educate viewers of each area’s participation and commitment during this tumultuous time.

For information on the commemorative tour call Cultural Resources at (919) 807-7389.  For information on the exhibit call the Mecklenburg library at (704) 461-0152 or the Northampton library at (252) 524-2571.

About the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources:
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historical sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council, and the State Archives. Cultural Resources champions North Carolina’s creative industry, which employs nearly 300,000 North Carolinians and contributes more than $41 billion to the state’s economy. To learn more, visit www.ncdcr.gov and www.ncculture.com.