Bringing Clara Barton Back to Washington D.C.

On Tuesday, July 28^th, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine was pleased to dedicate The Clara Barton Missing Soldier’s Office, the living and working space of Clara Barton during, and just after, the American Civil War.  Located on 7^th Street in Washington D.C., The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office is now open to the public thanks to the unique partnership between the General Services Administration and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. 

The original sign.

Clara Barton lived and worked in the space from 1861 to 1869. With the assistance of a handful of clerks, Barton discovered the fate of nearly 22,000 soldiers listed as missing in action and responded to nearly 63,000 pieces of correspondence. Barton financed the Missing Soldiers Office with her own funds out of this very space.

Tom painting the cases.

We had many tasks that needed to be completed to ensure their readiness for both the artifacts as well as our esteemed guests. The original cases that the museum had to spare we incomplete, but we contacted a local plexi glass company, who made us some quality lids.  In addition each received a fresh coat of paint that would complement but not take away from the interpretive space. 

Room 9.

Once the paint had cured and off gassed, the cases were brought up and into the space. We wanted each room to tell a different story of the Missing Soldiers Office.  In one room, we would focus on boarding house life.  In another, we show items that may have belonged to Barton.  In the main room, Room 9, we tell the story of the Missing Soldiers Office, with the original sign and other supplies used in the space.

The original sign on display in Room 9.

With the cases in place, the artifacts were brought in to the space.  By using risers, we were able to elevate the items for the public to view, and to highlight the items.  Labels were also added in the cases to describe the significance of each artifact. 

Edward Shaw's room.

Some of the rooms have been furnished with period items and décor to give a glimpse into the lives of those who resided there.  Two period ropes beds are seen in the Barton and Shaw rooms we set up two rope beds as well as a desk where a gas lamp would sit.  In the Room 9, we set up two period style desks, along with some crates, to represent items that would have been seen in the Missing Soldiers Office.

The visitor center and bookstore area.

The dedication of the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office was the culmination of a nearly 20 year project that began in 1996 when a GSA employee named Richard Lyons discovered artifacts in the attic that belonged to Clara Barton.  It is entirely due to his diligent observation and persistence that the space once occupied by Clara Barton was discovered and the news of the discovery shared.

Richard Lyon's receiving his plaque at the dedication.

Without his efforts and the contributions of multiple partners and many individuals - the artifacts, this historic space and the CBMSO legacy would have been lost to history. In a moving ceremony, Richard Lyons was presented with a plaque and a standing ovation in honor of his discovery and efforts.

Richard Lyons

Visitors can now walk the steps Barton walked and experience the space as she did more than 150 years ago. The CBMSO is the result of a one-of-a-kind partnership between the General Services Administration (GSA) and the NMCWM. Both are proud of the incredible efforts that went into restoring, preserving and interpreting this historic site. 

The ribbon cutting.

 Thomas Frezza

 Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, except where otherwise noted.

Civil War Social 2.0

On Sunday, March 15^th, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine hosted a Civil War Social on behalf of The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area.  It was an “Instameet” program which featured a special behind-the-scenes tour and a chance to network with fellow social media followers.

 

Photo Credit: Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area

There were twelve Civil War enthusiasts in the group, who during the tour, took photos of various points of interest and posted them on their social media outlets.  

 

 Photo Credit: michellebellez

The event was advertised exclusively on social media by the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, and it’s the first time that the National Museum of Civil War Medicine has participated in such a venture.

 

Photo Credit:   Kristen Butler

While some participants were quite familiar with the museum, others had never been inside its doors.  After meeting in the conference room, Tom took them to the third floor to begin the tour.  Not many visitors have the privilege to visit the third floor, since it is mostly just administrative offices, but in Frederick, there are links to the past in the least likely of places. For instance the original weight operated doorbell to the Carty building which now houses The National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

 

 Photo Credit:   Kristen Butler

The next stop on their exclusive tour was the rear of the building to the collections room.  It is here where they got an up-close and personal look at many interesting and iconic artifacts from the American Civil War.  All the while they were asking questions and posting photos.

 

 Photo Credit:   Kristen Butler

In addition to their tour they got an exclusive sneak- peek of a new collection which is currently in quarantine.

 

Photo Credit:  emhoobner

Exclusive behind the scenes tours are available by appointment for small groups only. 

Tom Frezza

A Few More Missing Soldiers Artifacts

  This weekend I took some artifacts out to the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office in Washington DC.  While we do have the space open to the public on weekends, we’re still raising funds for display cases and a security system for the building.  Until then, we cannot put any long-term artifact displays there.  I was able to take a few artifacts out for a specific tour though. 

     A group of teachers from around the country came to the CBMSO with a tour from Brightspark Travel. On their tour they heard about Clara Barton’s life in Washington DC, and her work in forming the Missing Soldiers Office.

Here, Tom tells some of our visitors about Clara Barton’s private room. 

 

We also now have an area for our visitors to take selfies – complete with a writing desk similar to the type Clara Barton would have used, reproductions of the Missing Soldiers Office forms she sent out to families, and a life-sized cut-out of Clara!

     The members of the tour were also able to view a few of the artifacts which were found in the building.  The teachers on the tour seemed very interested in them, and I enjoyed being able to tell them a little more about the artifacts.

     All the items I took to display were found in the building – most of them packed in boxes in the attic.  Some of the boxes contained items which belonged to Clara Barton, while other boxes belonged to her friend and landlord, Edward Shaw.   

On display were a portfolio of envelopes from a writing set, a man’s slipper; the original tin sign Clara Barton posted on the front of this building to advertise her Missing Soldiers Office; a bent Enfield rifle bayonet which could have been used as a pry bar or could have been part of her relic collection from Andersonville Prison; and two socks which she was probably having mended to send back out to the soldiers.

Here you can also see a small steel sewing thimble and a portion of conserved gas line from the building.  Also on display was a panel from a wooden crate, addressed to the Commissioner of Patents.  On the opposite side it is labeled "Shaw", with the address, "488 1/2 7th St. over Steens." It is likely that Clara reused such crates to send supplies to the soldiers on the battlefields.

     The artifact display was quite popular!  I’m looking forward to the time when we can have artifacts on display out there more permanently!  In the meantime, the CBMSO will be closed starting November 24, 2014 through January 15, 2015 and will reopen on January 16th.  We’re also planning a re-dedication of the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office in the spring of 2015.  I hope you can come out for a visit!  

Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.


Originally published by Lori Eggleston
Guardian of the Artifacts

The Barton Trunk Bed on Display

   If you’ve been following my blog recently, you’ll probably remember that I’ve been working on putting together a display for the trunk bed of Clara Barton’s which is on loan to us from the American Red Cross.  Though it took just a bit longer than expected, it is finally out on display!  The case which housed the Clara Barton exhibit here at the NMCWM was too small for the trunk bed to be displayed open, so I had to do a little rearranging first. 

I had to switch the Barton display with our stretcher display, and put away one of the large stretchers for now.  You can see that there’s plenty of room for the trunk in this case though.  You can also see the sheet of Mylar I placed beneath the trunk to protect it.

And here is the trunk bed folded out, complete with the poles and lines to support the mosquito netting. 

     I had originally intended to display the bed with the mosquito netting around it.  However, I had concerns about how much stress that would put on the fragile fabric.  Though I could have supported the top with a layer of fabric or Mylar, the sides were more problematic.  It also would have obstructed the view of the bed somewhat.  So, I decided to display a piece of the netting draped across the end of the bed instead.

Here’s a close-up view of the mosquito netting which was found inside the trunk bed.   Though it is in great shape for 150-year-old fabric, it is still prudent to treat it gently.

The trunk bed is displayed with some of the artifacts found at Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office in Washington D.C., which are on loan to us from the U.S. General Services Administration.

And just so that no one is disappointed about not seeing the bed set up with the mosquito netting, here is an image of that from the Red Cross!

     If you get the chance, come by and see it in person – the display will be here for at least a year.  

Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, except where otherwise noted.

*If you missed my previous posts about Clara Barton's trunk bed, you can read Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.   


Originally published by Lori Eggleston
Guardian of the Artifacts

Clara Barton's Bed, Part 2

     Researching the history of an artifact is one of the favorite aspects of my job, especially when I am able to find new information.  I love being able to discover the story behind an artifact!  Sometimes though, the search is like putting together puzzle pieces, and sometimes my search takes me in directions I didn’t expect.  That’s what happened when I started researching Clara Barton’s Civil War trunk bed a couple of weeks ago.  If you missed Part 1 about this trunk bed, you may want to take a quick look at it here.    

We didn’t have much information about the trunk bed when it arrived, so I was pleased to find this label, which named the donor and the city of origin, inside the trunk.  This gave me a good starting point!

     The Dr. Julian B. Hubbell mentioned on the label worked with Clara Barton as the first American Red Cross Chief Field Agent, and served in the Red Cross from 1881 until 1904.  He stayed with Clara at her Glen Echo home until her death in 1912.  Afterwards, the home (along with many of Clara Barton’s things) came into his possession.  He passed away in 1929 and willed his home and the Barton possessions to his nieces, Rena and Lena Hubbell.  His obituary in the Lawrence Daily Journal-World newspaper stated that, "Many of the priceless possessions in the Dr. Hubbell home, formerly owned by Clara Barton, will be given to the American Red Cross Museum, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian."  Rena Hubbell donated the trunk bed to the Red Cross in 1931.  So, the trunk bed’s ownership can be clearly traced from its original owner, Clara Barton, to its current owner, the American Red Cross.

     Next I focused on the Philadelphia firm mentioned on the label.  My hope was to find the name of the trunk bed’s maker.  Many times (but not always) manufacturers put an identification mark on their products, so I started examining the trunk more closely.

I was quite happy when I spotted some text embossed in the leather on one end of the trunk!  It was difficult to read all of it, but I discovered that if I used a small LED flashlight at an angle to the trunk’s surface the letters became clearer.

      The first line of letters was mostly covered by the orange label you see in the photo.  I was only able to see “W. B. ST….”  I was really wishing that label had been placed somewhere else on the trunk!  The second line of letters was much clearer, and I was excited to discover that it read, “PATENT JUNE 11, 1861.”  Finding a patent date is like striking gold; that information is easily accessed!  It also helped to place the trunk in the Civil War period.  The last line of text was somewhat obscured by a small section of scuffed leather, but the first section was easy to read, “NO 1 WARREN….”  It looked like an address, so I concentrated on the remaining letters, expecting to find that it read either ‘Philadelphia’ or ‘PA.’  Once I finally lit up that section well enough to read though, I discovered that it read, “… ST. NY.”  The trunk wasn’t from Philadelphia after all, it was from New York!

     Next I went to my computer to look up that patent date.  I found this entry: “Trunk convertible into a bedstead, W.B. Strong.  Patent #32,536.”  Now I had the maker’s name!  I also was able to look up Mr. Strong’s description of the trunk bed, and his diagram of it.  The description not only specified how to set up the trunk bed, it also contained other useful information.  Let’s take a look at part of the description.

     "Be it known that I, W. B. Strong, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Combination of an Army-Trunk and Bedstead or Couch; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description....

     The object of this invention is to combine a trunk and bedstead in such a manner that the trunk may have nearly its usual available capacity for the reception of clothing and still admit of being readily converted into a bedstead when the latter is required.

     The invention is designed for the use of the army officers and such members thereof as are allowed to carry trunks and who, while occupying the tents of a flying camp, cannot be generally provided with anything in the way of a bedstead to keep them elevated above the surface of the ground.”

     So, this trunk bed wasn’t designed specifically for Clara Barton.  It was designed and sold for army officers.  That actually makes more sense, as it would have been readily available for her to purchase.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the trunk bed which was referred to in the patent description.

     “[The] trunk which may be constructed of leather placed over a wood box in the usual way.  The trunk, however, instead of opening at one side, as usual, opens at one end....admitting when necessary, of being turned entirely over so as to rest upon the ground....

     The lids....may be formed of light wooden frames covered with cloth, and to the inner side of the lid.... there are attached straps....which are secured to the inner side of said lid.

     The two parts....of the trunk receive clothing as usual, and in one of them an india-rubber mattress....is placed, said mattress when required for use being inflated with air.  The mattress when not inflated may be folded within a small compass.”

     Did you catch that last part?  There was an AIR MATTRESS used with the trunk bed!  The fact that there were air mattresses used during the Civil War was news to me (and no doubt will be good news to my re-enactor friends!).  Unfortunately, there is no remnant of an air mattress contained in this trunk bed, but I will certainly be on the lookout for one now.

     “When the mattress....is placed on the parts....the frame....of [the] lid....is unfolded and the legs adjusted downward to support said frame in an inclined position, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.   

     This frame....forms the pillow of the couch, and when unfolded adds materially to the length of the couch.

     There may be four or six bars....as desired, four at least must be used.  These bars....form a frame to receive a cloth...., which may be of light india-rubber cloth or any water-proof fabric.

     When necessary or preferable the waterproof cover....may be dispensed with and a mosquito net substituted for it.” 

     If you will recall the photos from Part 1, there was some blue mosquito netting contained inside Clara Barton’s trunk bed.  There was no other cover inside the trunk, but the mention of the india rubber cloth brought to mind one of the artifacts which was found at her Missing Soldiers Office.

This is a Civil War shelter half, stamped “U.S. Sanitary Commission” which was found with Clara Barton’s items at the Missing Soldiers Office.  It has a rubber backing to make it waterproof.  Normally this item would have been carried by a soldier, and fastened together with another shelter half to form a whole tent for two soldiers.  When this shelter half was found, there was some speculation as to why it was in Clara’s possession.  Is it possible that this was used as the “waterproof cover” for her trunk bed?  It’s certainly a topic which is worth more research!  Artifact is owned by the U.S. General Services Administration.

     I also found that though Mr. Strong lived in New York in 1861 when he applied for the patent, by 1862 he had opened a business in Washington D.C.

Here is an advertisement from the maker of Clara Barton’s trunk bed from the 1862 "Boyd's Washington and Georgetown directory: containing a business directory of Washington, Georgetown and Alexandria."  His New York origin is apparent in his reference to “New York prices.”

     This was definitely an interesting and educational research session!  It has certainly given the NMCWM some good information to include in our new Clara Barton exhibit.  Watch for that to be completed in the near future!

Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.


Originally published by Lori Eggleston
Guardian of the Artifacts

Clara Barton’s Bed, Part 1

     I have some exciting news for all the Clara Barton fans out there!  The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is working with the American Red Cross in Washington DC to put Clara Barton’s trunk bed on display!  Since we are still working on some environmental and security issues at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office, the trunk bed will be displayed at our main museum.  A trunk bed, as the name implies, is a small bed, or cot, which folds into a trunk to become more easily portable.  This is the trunk bed Clara Barton used when she traveled to the battlefields and hospitals during the Civil War, so it is particularly appropriate for display here at the NMCWM.

     There is even a mention of it in the book, Clara Barton: Professional Angel by Elizabeth Brown Pryor:  "The first movements of the expedition to Charleston failed, though Barton dryly remarked that she had "seen worse retreats if this be one,"  She was disappointed in being excluded from what little action did take place and was surprised to find that she had time to settle in and become accustomed to the pace of life at Hilton Head.  She and David [her brother] were given two rooms next to the chief quartermaster, furnished with a collection of makeshift furniture and castoffs from the local plantations: a large mahogany table "evidently once very costly," a rocking chair, and Egyptian marble-topped bureau, mosquito netting for curtains, and Clara's army trunk that unfolded into a bed."

      We were all excited at the prospect of displaying Clara's bed, but first we had to get it here.  Packing and moving a 150-year-old trunk bed is a bit more involved than moving a regular bed!

Clara’s trunk bed was professionally packed and crated for its trip from Washington DC by USArt, and then it was carefully transported to Frederick by Red Cross staff members.  The crate was a bit heavy, so it took some teamwork from all of us to get it unloaded!

Though it was just a short distance to the museum from the street, we made sure the crate stayed securely on the cart!

Once the crate was in my office, we could start the process of uncrating it.  You can see here how securely it was packed.  Even if it had been dropped (not a scenario anyone wants!) it would have been well protected.  There were several layers to the packaging.  There was a cloth cover around the trunk as the first line of defense against dust, dirt, and scratches.  Next it was covered with a layer of plastic, to protect it from moisture.  All the surfaces touching the wrapped trunk were foam, which helped to cushion the trunk.  And finally, the wooden crate protected the trunk against more extreme physical damages.

Here’s what we were all waiting to see – the trunk bed which belonged to Clara Barton!  At first glance, it looks like an ordinary trunk.  The frame is made of wood, and the exterior is covered with tooled leather.  It is also reinforced with wood and metal strips.  The trunk is not hinged on the long edge, but along the short edge.  You might notice two orange labels, one on the top and one on the side.  Each one reads, “Clara Barton.”

The trunk folds out to make this small cot.  I’m sure it’s quite functional, but it sure doesn’t look comfortable!  It’s also in remarkably good shape.

Underneath the cot is storage space.  Here you can see a bag which contains some of the leather straps from the trunk, some wooden poles which can be set up around the cot, and the blue mosquito netting which would have been draped over the poles.  I haven’t had the opportunity to set it up with the netting yet, but I plan to have it displayed with the netting.  I’ll be posting photos of that here later!

     I am currently doing some research on this bed, and preparing to put it on display.  Be sure to check back later for more photos and more news on this unique Clara Barton artifact!  In the meantime, take a look at this short video clip on the bed’s journey to my museum, here. 

  

 Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.