Page 20
Volume 26, Issue 1
Gettysburg Foundation
The photographer for each of these photos was William Tipton, a Gettysburg resident. His images were initially produced on glass negatives and
then printed on paper to become positive images. Though these four photos are black and white and may seem a bit grainy, they provide pieces
of visual history of Gettysburg as it was in the 1860s. Because 2015 is the final year of the American Civil War sesquicentennial commemorations
and includes the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, this photo quiz focuses on his historic visit and shows us what he saw when he walked the
streets of Gettysburg. Can you recognize these four buildings and locations and explain the significance both in 1863 and today? Clues are in the
photo captions; answers in the next issue (
save your newsletters
and check how successful you are in photo identifications).
Answers to the photo quiz from Volume 25, Issue 4 are on the back cover.Thanks to Sue Boardman who shared not only the photos from her vast private collection but also her knowledge of Civil War photography.
Where am I What do I See?
Photo 1:
This house, sometimes called a “cottage home,” is no longer
standing but its replacement, built in 1868, is on the original foundation.
It was the site of fighting and army occupation during the Battle of
Gettysburg. President Lincoln passed this house and neighboring houses
on his way to dedicate a cemetery. Today it houses a small museum and
offices. From a Tipton stereoview card.
Photo 3:
Looking north from Baltimore Street across the diamond
and north on Carlisle Street, this cityscape is the one that Lincoln saw
and walked through to begin his trip back to Washington on November
19, 1863. He was headed toward the building shown in the upper right.
This building has been part of the business and industry in Gettysburg
since just prior to the Civil War until today. Many parts of the building
and artifacts of its original use are preserved. From a Tipton glass plate
negative.
Photo 2:
Lincoln and a local Gettysburg hero attended a patriotic
service in this building. The 1840s building is no longer in existence,
but its replacement stands on this site and bears a bronze plaque
commemorating it as a Civil War hospital of the Army of the Potomac
Cavalry Corps. The plaque was originally on a granite marker which was
removed when the building was reconstructed. The plaque is now located
on the front of the building itself. From a Tipton glass lantern slide.
(Photo Credit: Adams County Historical Society)
Photo 4:
The structure in this photo holds a prominent place in the
borough of Gettysburg today just as it did in in the 1860s. It has been
a family home, a law office, a drug store, an antique “mall.” It has been
restored in part to its 1860s appearance and holds artifacts of the period
and of the 16th President’s visit to Gettysburg, as well as offices on its
upper floors. From a Tipton glass lantern slide.
1
3
2
4