The 220 square foot exhibit features two extraordinary private collections of rare American historical documents and photographs. The items are all from the holdings of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Meserve-Kunhardt Collection.

Some of the Exhibit items include:

• An original letter from George Washington opposing slavery.
• A rare 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence.
• A secret, privately printed draft of the U.S. Constitution.
• An Abolitionist Flag − hand-made in 1859 and featuring the stars and stripes of only the 20 free states.
• Matthew Brady photographs including all known poses of Lincoln and a rare image of General Robert E. Lee with the Confederate uniform painted over his business suit.
• Photographs of slaves fleeing the South.
• An 1871 appeal by Susan B. Anthony to the Women of the United States.
• A letter from Woodrow Wilson regarding woman's suffrage.
• A typed speech, with handwritten corrections, by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• An "I am a Man" lithographed poster from the sanitation workers' march led by Dr. King on April 4, 1968 − the day of Dr. King's assassination.

This exhibit will be available to CPS classes in the Library during the month of February.

A special viewing will be open to the public on:

Tuesday, February 15, 2011
8:00 am to 7:00 pm
Admission is FREE

CHS students browsing the display.