Collection Presentation and Exhibit on Civil War Timepieces in Carnegie, PA, 2/10/2018

Joined
May 8, 2015
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I have accepted an invitation to speak at the “Second Saturday” Civil War Lecture Series at the Carnegie Library, 300 Beechwood Avenue, Carnegie PA 15106 (412-276-3456), at 1 PM on Saturday, February 10, 2018. (Carnegie PA is quite near Pittsburgh.) My talk, entitled “Why and How to Collect Civil War Timepieces, with Illustrative Examples,” will be oriented to audiences whose primary interest is in Civil War history and artifacts. I plan to review the role and prevalence of personal watches in Civil War armies, and the kinds and characteristics of watches carried by Civil War combatants. The latter part of the talk will focus on watches from my personal collection, their original owners, the units with which they served, and the battles in which they fought. The watches will be on display during and after my presentation. After the talk, I look forward to seeing and discussing watches that may be brought by members of the audience with their owners.

For those who have never visited the Carnegie Library of Carnegie PA, it is well worth the trip in itself. It is a majestic structure set on top of a prominent hill in town. It includes the Civil War Room, where the Captain Thomas Espy Post #153 of the Grand Army of the Republic continued to meet into the early 1900's. Home to one of the last active GAR posts in the country, the room was sealed for the better part of a century after its last veteran died in 1937. Today, the room and its contents of original flags, books, prints, relics, and rare Lincoln photographs are spectacularly preserved, and are open to the public. (Please see their schedule for guided viewings).

For those here who may have a somewhat wider interest in antiquarian horology (the study and collecting of old, historic timepieces), please visit my web page at:

https://clintgeller.com/pocket-horology/

Some of the other items discussed there are also Civil War-related.
 
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For those who have never visited the Carnegie Library of Carnegie PA, it is well worth the trip in itself. It is a majestic structure set on top of a prominent hill in town. It includes the Civil War Room, where the Captain Thomas Espy Post #153 of the Grand Army of the Republic continued to meet into the early 1900's. Home to one of the last active GAR posts in the country, the room was sealed for the better part of a century after its last veteran died in 1937. Today, the room and its contents of original flags, books, prints, relics, and rare Lincoln photographs are spectacularly preserved, and are open to the public. (Please see their schedule for guided viewings).

I went to the Carnegie Library in Carnegie (the "Carnegie Carnegie", lol) last night to listen to a talk about a historical fiction book about Andrew Carnegie. The Civil War Room was open before the talk so that people could tour it if they got there early. I was quite impressed.

You probably already know this, but I learned the following:

1.) Andrew Carnegie agreed to completely pay to build Carnegie, PA's, library in exchange for them naming the community of Carnegie, Pennsylvania after him. (There are a lot of other Carnegie libraries in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The other Carnegie libraries had to raise money in the community to contribute towards the expense of building their libraries.)

2.) This Captain Thomas Espy GAR post rented this room from the library for $1 a year, and the men from the GAR paid to heat the building.

3.) Upon the death of the very last member of this GAR post, the room was locked up for the next 50 years. Fifty years later, someone decided to open the room and see what was inside. The room had water damage. The wallpaper and carpet needed to be replaced. The room was restored and turned into the Civil War Room.

I will post some photos from my phone shortly.
 
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I went to the Carnegie Library in Carnegie (the "Carnegie Carnegie", lol) last night to listen to a talk about a historical fiction book about Andrew Carnegie. The Civil War Room was open before the talk so that people could tour it if they got there early. I was quite impressed.

You probably already know this, but I learned the following:

1.) Andrew Carnegie agreed to completely pay to build Carnegie, PA's, library in exchange for them naming the community of Carnegie, Pennsylvania after him. (There are a lot of other Carnegie libraries in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The other Carnegie libraries had to raise money in the community to contribute towards the expense of building their libraries.)

2.) This Captain Thomas Espy GAR post rented this room from the library for $1 a year, and the men from the GAR paid to heat the building.

3.) Upon the death of the very last member of this GAR post, the room was locked up for the next 50 years. Fifty years later, someone decided to open the room and see what was inside. The room had water damage. The wallpaper and carpet needed to be replaced. The room was restored and turned into the Civil War Room.

I will post some photos from my phone shortly.
Yep, I've been in the GAR meeting room a few times now. It's a fabulous walk-in time capsule, complete with original spittoons.
 
As a collector of 19th century timepieces, I really wish I could be there! I'd love to see your collection. I hope it goes well for you!
Thank you, Kirk. The presentation was given last year, and I believe it did go well. However, there is a larger ongoing exhibit, "Timeless Testaments: Civil War Watches & the Men Who Carried Them," at the NAWCC Museum in Columbia, PA, which runs until January 31, 2020. That exhibit is not just my collection on display. The NAWCC Museum exhibit draws from four museums and ten private collections, only one of which is mine, and it features a large touchscreen computer with 27 narrated Powerpoint presentations from which visitors can select.
 
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Here are the photos that I took this past Monday from the Civil War Room at the Carnegie library in Carnegie, PA:

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