Lee
5
A platinum enlargement of an 1860 photograph of Abraham Lincoln is on display at the front desk . The photo was taken by Alexander Hesler about a month after Lincoln ’ s election . This enlargement was framed with oak taken from the floorboards of Lincoln ’ s Springfield , Illinois , home and given to the Lee Library in 1899 by George N . Black , a native of Lee who lived on the same block as the Lincoln family in Springfield from 1850 to 1861 .
West Stockbridge
6
Pittsfield
Lee Library 100 Main St . leelibraryma . org
West Stockbridge Public Library 21 State Line Rd . weststockbridgepl . org
A full-size plaster bust of Abraham Lincoln by Leonard Volk is displayed in the library . Volk lived in Pittsfield and attended primary school in West Stockbridge in the late-1830s while his father and brother worked at the Fuarey Quarry . Volk first became interested in sculpture while working in his father ’ s marble-cutting workshop in Pittsfield . Volk first met Lincoln in 1858 at a Lincoln-Douglas debate and asked Lincoln if he would pose for him . Two years later , Lincoln posed for his portrait .
7
Arrowhead ( Berkshire Historical Society ) 780 Holmes Rd . berkshirehistory . org Displayed at Arrowhead is a July 19 , 1862 , order signed by Lincoln promoting Henry Briggs of Lanesborough to Brigadier General of Volunteers after Briggs was seriously wounded during the Battle of Fair Oaks in Virginia .
8
Berkshire Athenaeum ( Pittsfield ’ s Public Library ) 1 Wendell Ave . pittsfieldlibrary . org The Local History Department is exhibiting a framed proclamation thanking Pittsfield resident Walter Cutting for his patriotism , signed by Lincoln and War Secretary Edwin Stanton ; a facsimile of the Gettysburg Address ; and an original advertisement for Our American Cousin , the play at Ford ’ s Theatre on the night Lincoln was shot .
52 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE May / June 2022
9
Berkshire Museum 39 South St . berkshiremuseum . org Leonard Volk made a replica of his Lincoln life mask and gave it to his son , artist Stephen A . Douglas Volk , who later gave it to Zenas Crane , founder of the Berkshire Museum . It ’ s on view on the museum ’ s second floor . The museum also has a scrap of the pillowcase on which Lincoln ’ s head rested at his death ; the front page of the New York Herald reporting Lincoln ’ s death ; a lithograph of a portrait of Lincoln ; a handwritten card from Lincoln to the Secretary of the Navy ; a letter from Mary Todd Lincoln to General Ulysses S . Grant ; a Lincoln presidential campaign pin ; and photos of Lincoln by Alexander Hesler and Alexander Gardner .
Hancock Shaker Village 1843 West Housatonic St .
10 hancockshakervillage . org
Anita Sanchez ’ s book , Mr . Lincoln ’ s Chair — The Shakers and Their Quest for Peace , presents the Shakers against the backdrop of the Civil War . Their struggle to obtain legal conscientious objector status led them to the White House and an audience with President Lincoln . This book , sold in Hancock Shaker Village ’ s gift shop , takes a look at Lincoln as the Commander-in-Chief of America ’ s bloodiest war , seen through the eyes of America ’ s early conscientious objectors .
11
Samuel Harrison House 82 Third St . samuelharrison . org Born into slavery in 1818 , Samuel Harrison found his way to Pittsfield in 1850 to become the pastor of the Second Congregational Church . Harrison wrote essays , pamphlets , sermons , and books condemning racism , and he was appointed as the first chaplain for the 54th Regiment Massachusetts in September 1863 . Harrison advocated for equal pay for Black soldiers in the 54th and 55th regiments . He petitioned to Massachusetts Governor John Albion Andrew and President Abraham Lincoln — and achieved his goal .
Lenox
Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum 104 Walker St .
12 gildedage . org
Ventfort Hall ’ s history includes a direct connection to Civil War hero Colonel Robert Gould Shaw , who led the first African-American regiment in the North . A key component in Lincoln ’ s war efforts , the Massachusetts 54th proved Lincoln right by demonstrating the courage and commitment of Black soldiers . Ventfort has a permanent exhibition on Shaw and his wife Annie Haggerty Shaw , whose parents built Vent Fort , the first house on the property before he left to go to war .
Williamstown
The Clark Art Institute 225 South St .
13 clarkart . edu
On exhibition through May 30 , As They Saw It : Artists Witnessing War presents four centuries of war imagery from Europe and the United States , with an emphasis on the period 1820 – 1920 . Alongside woodengraved illustrations , photography emerged as an essential reporting tool during the Civil War . More than 186,000 Black Americans served in the Civil War in the United States . New acquisitions to the Clark ’ s collection document Black soldiers ’ essential contributions to the Union victory .
Williams College Library 26 Hopkins Hall Dr .
14 library . williams . edu
Visitors are invited to explore the Chesterwood Archives in Special Collections , Sawyer Library , at Williams College . The Archives include period photos and other items related to French ’ s commissions for the standing Abraham Lincoln for the Nebraska State Capitol and the seated Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial . A “ pop up ” exhibition in the reading room with material from the Chesterwood collection will be on view May 27 , 10-5 . For more information or to make an appointment to view collections , go to specialcollections . williams . edu , email specialcollections @ williams . edu , or call 413-597-4200 .