Civil War envelopes and postcards
Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: S3134
Scope and Contents
This collection includes two postcards and 23 printed envelopes from New York City, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Hartford, Connecticut during the U.S. Civil War, with illustrations of pro-Union propaganda.
Manufacturers the envelopes found in this collection are: Stinson and Co., 79 Cedar Street, New York, New York; S. C. Upham, 310 Chesnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; A. S. Robinson, Hartford, Connecticut; D. Murphy's Son, 65 Fulton and 372 Pearl Street, New York, New York; and the New York Envelope Depot, 144 Broadway, New York, New York.
Manufacturers the envelopes found in this collection are: Stinson and Co., 79 Cedar Street, New York, New York; S. C. Upham, 310 Chesnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; A. S. Robinson, Hartford, Connecticut; D. Murphy's Son, 65 Fulton and 372 Pearl Street, New York, New York; and the New York Envelope Depot, 144 Broadway, New York, New York.
Dates
- circa 1861-1865
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Historical Note
"Publication of Civil War envelopes began as early as the mid-1850's, when north-south divisions began to take shape, but ended prior to the war's conclusion because most believed that it was too indulgent and expensive to continue production in a time of war...The subjects illustrated on these envelopes varied from the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy, to caricatures of important war heroes."
Source: "Civil War envelopes", The American Antiquarian Society, Accessed August 15, 2019, https://www.americanantiquarian.org/cwenvelopes.htm.
"The volume of mail ticked upward with letters to distant homes, and when it was time to send a letter, soldiers and civilians alike reached for a new kind of envelope, freshly printed and decorated with red and blue flags, delicate engravings of eagles, poems about the girl left behind, or the faces of generals, whom people at home might never have seen...These patterns range from simple flags and mottos to macabre revenge fantasies, with the hanged bodies of Southern generals lining the road to Washington."
Source: Greenwood, Veronique. "Civil War Envelopes Are Works of Art—And Propaganda." National Geographic, December 10, 2015. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/12/151210-civil-war-envelopes-art-propaganda-artifacts.
Source: "Civil War envelopes", The American Antiquarian Society, Accessed August 15, 2019, https://www.americanantiquarian.org/cwenvelopes.htm.
"The volume of mail ticked upward with letters to distant homes, and when it was time to send a letter, soldiers and civilians alike reached for a new kind of envelope, freshly printed and decorated with red and blue flags, delicate engravings of eagles, poems about the girl left behind, or the faces of generals, whom people at home might never have seen...These patterns range from simple flags and mottos to macabre revenge fantasies, with the hanged bodies of Southern generals lining the road to Washington."
Source: Greenwood, Veronique. "Civil War Envelopes Are Works of Art—And Propaganda." National Geographic, December 10, 2015. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/12/151210-civil-war-envelopes-art-propaganda-artifacts.
Extent
0.02 Cubic Feet (2 folders)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by size.
Custodial History
This collection was recieved by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed in 1999 by Phillip N. Williams. Collection finding aid created in 1999 by Phillip N. Williams. EAD finding aid created 2024/01/19 by Alexander Chrapliwy.
- Title
- Civil War envelopes and postcards
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
