Cigar and Whiskey Night

As the hot wind swept over the fields, Confederate and Union soldiers prepared for battle. They gathered their muskets, stocked gun powder and loaded ammunition into satchels. This was the reason they joined their militaries- to fight for their beliefs.

While the war raged on for four years, Civil War soldiers most of their time in camp-playing cards, sipping whiskey and smoking cigars to pass the time. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine has captured the essence of a soldier’s camp life and recreated it for the present-day experience.

Join us for our 4^th Annual Cigar and Whiskey Night 2015, held on Saturday, June 20, and have yourself a true Civil War experience of smoking cigars and sipping whiskey!

Executive Director George Wunderlich will be picking the cigars for the evening, drawing on his experience as a cigar aficionado. Gather around the campfire and listen to George play his banjo and share stories from the past.

We’ve partnered with two craft distilleries- Lyon Distilling Company and Virginia Sweetwater Distillery- who will provide samples of rum, moonshine and whiskey.

Lyon Distilling is a craft distillery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, dedicated to transforming raw ingredients into splendid liquor, step-by-step, in ultra-small batches. Lyon will provide samples of rum and corn whiskey.

Virginia Sweetwater Distillery is the first legal distillery in Southwest Virginia to produce small batch handcrafted whiskies. The distillery will be pouring samples of its War Horn Whiskey, made in tribute to all military personnel who have served.

The Wine Kitchen of Frederick will be providing sustenance including pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw.

Pre-registration is required for the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, please contact the NMCWM at 301-695-1864 or visit www.civilwarmed.org.

 By Kacie Peterson

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

Florida Artifacts Road Trip!

In February, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine was contacted by a cardiologist in Ocala, Florida, looking to donate a large collection of Civil War medical items.  Since the collection was a rather large one, measures had to be taken here in Frederick to ensure that we had the space to accept the artifacts.  The work room for the curator was crowded with risers and cases and needed to be cleaned out.  Shelving would also have to be brought in to store everything on.

With this work completed, Tom and Jake headed down to Florida to pick up the artifacts.  Arriving on Sunday, they worked with the doctor to pack three rooms worth of medical artifacts.  Not only were there items from the Civil War, but there were many post war items, and a large amount of pre-war items.  There were commissions, photos, tools, and many different medical cases.

Tom and Jake worked for six hours loading the collection, after which they left for the long drive north.  They drove through the night, stopping only for food and gas, and to switch driving duties.  Two hours on, two hours off.  They made great time.  They arrived back in Frederick at 4:30 am.  After dropping Jake off, Tom came to the museum at 5 am and unloaded all of the artifacts off of the truck and into the lobby.  Finally exhausted, he slept for an hour in the office, after which he moved all of the boxes into the quarantine room.

The next day, all of the boxes were unpacked; the artifacts were placed on the shelves in their temporary home.  This is where the collection will “live” for the next few months, while they are cleaned, preserved, and cataloged in hopes that soon they will be placed on display.

Items cannot simply be placed right back into the collections room. The first step is to place them into quarantine.  The reason for this is to ensure that items have not been exposed to materials that may cause damage to the artifacts in the collections room.  The most common concerns may include bugs and mold.  While the artifacts are in quarantine, they are checked for anything that could damage not only themselves but other artifacts.

 So, stay tuned, and hopefully soon you can see some of these items on display!

Thomas Frezza

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

Returning Loaned Artifacts

As most people may or may not know, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine has a vast collection of Civil War Medical artifacts that extend beyond those currently on display.  Some items we display have been loaned to the museum and additionally, we also loan items out to other museums and historic sites.  It is a great way to build partnerships, to help fellow museums, and to showcase our name and artifacts.

Kyle, helping to put away some of the returned artifacts.

When the exhibits have run their course the items are then returned and then they start the process of coming back to the museum’s collection.

 And they move down these hallways where we store all of our old exhibit panels.

Items cannot simply be placed right back into the collections room. The first step is to place them into quarantine.  The reason for this is to ensure that items have not been exposed to materials that may cause damage to the artifacts in the collections room.  The most common concerns may include bugs and mold.  While the artifacts are in quarantine, they are checked for anything that could damage not only themselves but other artifacts.

The cart on the right has boxes filled with returned artifacts.

Once the artifact's time in quarantine is up, they can return to the collections room, into the storage drawers where they are housed.  This procedure was followed last week with items that were out on loan, and with the items that came back from our location at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum, which closes down for the winter months.  This procedure is not limited to those items that leave the building, but also with artifacts that come out of the collections within the exhibits here at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

The Fitzpatrick items were some of the artifacts on display at the Pry House.

What is great about this process is not the paperwork, but that you can see in one room how awesome the collection is in its entirety.  There is everything from splints to books, from amputation kits to a Civil War Condom.  It is very fascinating to see these artifacts that are well cared for by the staff at The National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

The sword returned from the Fitzpatrick exhibit.

Thomas Frezza

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

A new frontier: The first Skype outreach for the museum

On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine took another step into the future of outreaches.  Tom Frezza conducted a Skype outreach with students from Sioux City, Iowa.  They were from a career academy where 11th graders interested in the medical field study American History and English through the medical lens.

Tom was able to talk to them for about an hour about the museum, and the history of Civil War Medicine, and why it still matters today.  Using reproduction items, photos, and demonstrating techniques, the students were able to learn about operations, ambulances, and Dr. Johnathan Letterman.

By doing outreaches using technologies like computers with Skype, the museum is able to branch out and connect with students who may not have the means to visit the museum in person.  This offers a great opportunity for the interpreter and the students to maintain a face to face dialogue, even though they may be hundreds of miles apart.  The students were able to ask some great questions and Tom was able to respond and use reproduction items just like with a traditional outreach.  He was not only able to talk about the items, but hold them up to the camera, and students were able to see them in real time.

This type of outreach has great potential.  Students from all across the country will be able to learn the truth about Civil War Medicine and how it still affects them today.  And instead of using reproduction items, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine has the ability, with advanced notice, to bring artifacts out of the collections room to help tell the story.  Items that even the general public cannot see!

So, if you would like to schedule a Skype outreach for your classroom, please contact the National Museum of Civil War Medicine at:

Tours and Bookings

Katie Reichard

301-695-1864, Ext. 1010

bookings@civilwarmed.org

Thomas Frezza

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