Inside look at rare Civil War-era photograph album

Cornell librarian Lance Heidig exhibits a rare Civil War-era photograph album that became the library's 8 millionth volume through a gift from Beth and Stephan Loewentheil, J.D. '75. The volume--compiled for Louis-Philippe d'Orl?ans, Comte de Paris, the French nobleman and historian who volunteered to join Gen. George McClellan's staff in the Union Army--is one of the finest surviving Civil War photograph albums, with 265 rare photographs by the pre-eminent photographer Mathew Brady and others. It contains unusual images of infantry, artillery and cavalry units preparing for battle, military field operations, gun emplacements and camp scenes as well as rare portraits of Union and Confederate officers, prisoners of war, and Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.