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This pocket testament, found on the Wilderness battlefield |
By LAURA MOYER
John Cummings hopes people will dust off their old Civil War-era photos, papers and household items and submit them to an expert's gaze this weekend.
An "Antiques Roadshow"-type documentation and appraisal process is a central part of the Spotsylvania Battlefields Relic and Memorabilia Show to be held at Christ Episcopal Church on Saturday. The show is sponsored by the Friends of Fredericksburg Area Battlefields.
Collectors and dealers will set up sales tables, and several educational exhibits will explore aspects of Civil War military and civilian life.
Cummings, an avid student of Civil War history, hopes the event will prompt people to share old photographs in particular.
"There are countless images of soldiers who fought here, but it is extremely rare to see photographs of the local civilians that experienced the devastation as war raged over their homesteads," Cummings said in a press release.
Though military items are the most commonly collected relics of the Civil War, everyday civilian items are important, too.
"If it survived the Civil War, it is important history," Cummings said in the release.
The event will feature a display of 19th-century medical and apothecary items; a question-and-answer opportunity with an expert on 19th-century mourning practices; and artifacts excavated on private property since the end of the Civil War. The 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment will give a living history presentation.
Laura Moyer: 540/374-5417| What: Spotsylvania Battlefields Relic and Memorabilia Show Where: Christ Episcopal Church, 8951 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania When: Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost: $3 for those ages 7 and older Info: Call John Cummings at 540/582-7469. |
