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Here is an example of an exhibit gallery using very low lighting. This is at the Met and you can see how the artifacts are in nearly total darkness and lit only dimly. This is helping to preserve the colors and overall condition of the works while still allowing visitors to see them. Often these galleries have motion sensors and the lights do not turn on until someone walks in.

Safe Lighting for Exhibiting Your Collection

Illuminating the Past Without Destroying It: Safe Lighting for Exhibiting Your Collection When we walk into a museum or gallery, the first thing we often notice is the light….

Photo of William Henry Harrison “Tip” Wilson in civilian clothes.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 23: Tip Wilson of the 5th Tennessee Infantry

William Henry Harrison “Tip” Wilson was born in 1840 to Ann Adeline (Neblett) Wilson and Joseph Hannibal Bonaparte Wilson of Paris, Tennessee. He was named after politician Wi…

Veterans of the 8th Illinois Cavalry pose with the marker commemorating the first shot fired at Gettysburg during the 50th anniversary reunion, July 1913.

Records Group 94 Feature: 8th Illinois Cavalry

Records Group 94 Feature: 8th Illinois Cavalry Saddles, Carbines, and First Shots: The Story of the 8th Illinois Cavalry When the Civil War erupted in 1861, men across…

1914 Photograph of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida, where William Lewis Savage attended a church service in 1863.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 22: William Lewis Savage of the 10th Connecticut Infantry

William Lewis Savage was born in 1842 to Selah Savage and Sarah M. (Meade) Savage of Greenwich, Connecticut. On October 2, 1861 he enlisted as a sergeant in Company “I” of the…

This photograph from the National WWII Museum shows collections boxes stored on Space Saver shelving, in archival boxes, and properly tagged with archival tags. Notice the staff member is also handling the poster with gloves while is fully supported so that it doesn't bend and tear. Image source: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/20-years-collecting-wwii-artifacts

Collection Preservation Tips From The National WWII Museum

Collection Preservation Tips from The National WWII Museum Although the National WWII Museum is a bit further forward in time than Civil War collectors, the concept of…

Sketch of Chickasaw Bayou via Wikimedia Commons.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 21: Richard Ransom and the Chicago Mercantile Battery Light Artillery

Richard “Dick” Ransom was born in 1842 to Daniel Ransom and Lucy Edson (Lake) Ransom of Woodstock, Vermont. By the 1860s, Richard Ransom was living in Chicago working as a pri…

This is a screenshot of a TikTok video I found that shows a Civil War uniform exhibited on a mannequin that is too large. Notice how it cannot be fully buttoned. By buttoning the top two buttons, you can see the stress put on the garment because those two buttons are trying to hold the whole thing together. This is an example of why it is important to use a mannequin that fits your garment, and why it's better to work with one that's on the slightly too small side and pad it up.

8 Tips for Displaying Historic Clothing at Home

For private collectors, historic garments are not just beautiful objects — they’re tangible connections to the past. Displaying them at home allows you to share their stories …

1st Lieutenant Biddle Boggs of Company H, 80th US Colored Troops Infantry.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 20: Biddle Boggs, Lt. on Gen. John C. Frémont’s Staff

Biddle Boggs was a rather unique character in history, serving in both the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. He was born in 1822 to Andrew Boggs and Sarah Talman…

Beyond the Charge: Captain H.C. Coates and the 1st Minnesota After Gettysburg

Beyond the Charge: Captain H.C. Coates and the 1st Minnesota After Gettysburg The story of the 1st Minnesota Infantry is usually told in a single moment—the desperate charge o…

Here you can see a number of pages that have been cut out of the ledger to be sold separately.

Angry Archivist: Cutting Up History

Angry Archivist: Cutting Up History Don’t you love it when you sit down to read through a historic book and someone has cut pages out of it? Isn’t that wonderful? No? I did…

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