1864 – Broadsheet requesting donations of Relics, Curiosities, and Autographs, as well as examples of manufacturing and craftsmanship to be exhibited and sold during the U.S. Sanitary Commission’s Great Central Fair to be held in June of 1864
Philadelphia: U.S. Sanitary Commission. Unbound.
A three-page broadsheet, measuring 8” x 10”, titled “GREAT CENTRAL FAIR, / To be held at Philadelphia, June 1864, / FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE UNITED STATES SANITARY COMMISSION.” It was published jointly on March 1, 1864 by the commission’s Executive Committee of the Great Central Fair and the Committee on Relics, Curiosities, and Autographs. In nice shape.
The broadsheet specifically requests that “in the spirit of unbounded patriotism,
”people, churches, businesses, farms, and organizations donate “Relics, Ancient and Modern. Curiosities, Natural and Artificial; and Autographs of distinguished men, in Religion, Art, Science Labor, and Benevolence” as well as representative “specimens” of their work. These were to be exhibited and sold at the fair, which was held between 7 and 28 June 1864, as part of the commissions ongoing effort to alleviate the deprivation, suffering, or agony of “brave soldiers of the Union, in camp, field, and hospital. . .. “
. Very good. Item #010005The U. S. Sanitary Commission was a private organization formed in June of 1861 in response to a plea, issued a month earlier by the Army Surgeon General, for the public to establish “an intelligent and scientific commission” to assist the overburdened Medical Department in comforting the soldiers by “preventative and sanitary means.” The response was overwhelming and during the war, the commission organized thousands of volunteers and raised $25 million (over $442 million in today’s money)
At the Great Central Fair, even President Lincoln participated. He, his wife Mary, and son Tad visited the fair on June 16. Admission fees were doubled for that day, and over 100,000 people jammed the fairground hoping to see the President. Lincoln donated signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation that were sold to the crowd for $10. By the time of its close on June 28, more that $1 million was raised through admissions, concessions, and sales of goods and souvenirs.
(For more information, see the commission’s self-published The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army: A Succinct Narrative of Its Works and Purposes, and Allen’s “A Presidential Fundraiser” at the Library of Congress Blog, both available online.)
Surprisingly scarce. At the time of listing, no other examples are available for sale in the trade. The Rare Book Hub reports no examples having been sold at auction. OCLC shows only one may be held by an institution in the Sanitary Commission graphics collection at Penn State.
.Price: $150.00