The collection consists of illustrations, primarily wood and line engravings, which were cut from serials published in Philadelphia and New York, such as Harper's Weekly, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, the New York Picayune, and The Phunny Phellow; very few of the pieces have dates, source citations or explanatory text beyond the published captions. Included are camp and battle scenes, basic maps meant to help readers understand military strategies, and caricature portraits of generals and politicians. The material was formerly housed in two folio scrapbooks (one for each of the existing series) but was not arranged in any chronological or subject order within the albums. Most of the illustrations remain fixed to the album pages, which have been disbound, foldered and boxed. Material absent from the pages has been incorporated into the Library Company's print department and cataloged separately., Some parts of this collection were previously assigned accession numbers 5779.F and 5780.F., John A. McAllister was an antiquarian collector living in Philadelphia.
Creator
McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Date
1880
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts MSS McA 5779.F
Collection of prints and ephemera, predominantly depicting Elmer Ellsworth, and originally part of a scrapbook of miscellaneous Civil War materials collected by John A. McAllister. Includes portrait prints, lettersheets, and illustrations depicting Ellsworth or his death, as well as a memorial work containing symbols of patriotism and mourning. Collection also contains lettersheets illustrated with the Union flag, and the song “America” bordered by state seals; a full-length portrait of General Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed during the war; and memorial portrait of Sen. Edward D. Baker killed at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff., Various artists, engravers, and printers, including C. Y. Haynes, J. Magee, A. B. Walter, and Alonzo Chappel., Various publishers, including J. Dainty, Johnson, Fry & Co., and J. W. Barber., Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook of Civil War Miscellanies., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Date
1861-1862
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department GC - Civil War -Miscellanies [5785.F]
