On November 19, 1863—150 years ago—President Abraham Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. His speech, ten sentences in length, is considered one of the greatest pieces of oratory in American history.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) will commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address with a special document display featuring items from its Civil War collection that explore how the war has been remembered through time. The display, titled “Commemorating the Civil War,” opens on November 19 and continues through January 3.  

Many of the stories of the Civil War—captured in letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts—are here at HSP. The library at 1300 Locust Street holds one of the largest and most impressive collections of Civil War­­-era documents.

Visitors to HSP will be able to view dozens of original items, including:

• A printed text copy of Abraham Lincoln’s address
• Photographs of veterans and presidents at the 50th and 75th Gettysburg reunions
• An original map of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, designed by Germantown, Pennsylvania, landscape gardener William Saunders
• A copy of the painting “The Battle of Gettysburg” by Philadelphian Peter Frederick Rothermel
• Historical views of Gettysburg, featuring the monuments and memorials of soldiers from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey

The documents will be on display during normal library hours, Tuesday through Friday, at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania at 1300 Locust Street in Philadelphia. The document display will run from November 19, 2013, through January 3, 2014. Please check www.hsp.org for more information about visiting hours. Reservations are not necessary. There is no fee; however, visitors are encouraged to make a donation. All proceeds will go toward the care and conservation of the 21 million historic documents held at HSP

In addition to the on-site display, many documents will be digitized and available on HSP’s Digital Library.

Media are welcome to attend. For high-quality images suitable for publication or for more information about “Commemorating the Civil War” please contact Lauri Cielo, director of programs and communications, at 215-732-6200 ext. 233 or lcielo@hsp.org.