The Civil War: A Centennial Exhibition of Eyewitness Drawings

January 8-February 12, 1961

Overview: 281 works came from 18 sources, with more than half (154) from the collection of Civil War documents at the Library of Congress and 49 from the New York Public Library. Shown were drawings and watercolors by the newspaper artists, or "specials," who made sketches at the front for city journals, which were then turned into wood engravings for illustrations.

The exhibition was part of the program of the Civil War Centennial Commission to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the war. After the showing at the Gallery, most of the drawings were divided into 2 smaller exhibitions and circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. William P. Campbell, assistant chief curator, organized the exhibition and prepared the catalogue.

Attendance: 20,201 (36 days)

Location: Ground Floor, Central Gallery, Galleries G-7 through G-13

Catalogue: The Civil War: A Centennial Exhibition of Eyewitness Drawings, by William P. Campbell. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1961.

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