"Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee Project" Seeks Tennessee-Related Items
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –The Tennessee State Library and Archives continues the successful “Looking Back” project during the 2015 Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event at the East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay St. in Knoxville, Tenn.
As part of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a team of professional archivists, curators and conservators from the Tennessee State Library and Archives will be on-hand 2-6 p.m. EST April 30 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST May 1 to digitize privately-owned Civil War manuscripts, artifacts, and photographs from Tennessee citizens and visitors free of charge.
“The interaction with people who bring in their items is just fantastic, enabling us to image thousands of privately-held documents, photos and artifacts and share them with a wider public,” said Dr. Wayne Moore, assistant state archivist.
The goal of the “Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee” project is to digitize records and artifacts from all 95 counties in Tennessee and promote public interest in Tennessee’s Civil War history. The files are maintained by TSLA and will become part of a virtual archive to be used by the general public as well as K-12 teachers and students.
Many of the digital records are featured in an online exhibit titled, “Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee http://tn.gov/tsla/cwtn/.” Those interested in participating should refer to the schedule www.tn.gov/tsla/cwtn and call 615-253-3470 or email civilwar.tsla@tn.gov to make a reservation.
More than 6,000 people from around the world are expected to attend the four-day events surrounding the 2015 Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event, “Reconstruction Tennessee,” April 30-May 1 in Knoxville.
The signature event is jointly sponsored by the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Tennessee Historical Society, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Knox County Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, East Tennessee Historical Society, and Visit Knoxville.
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To learn more about Tennessee’s Civil War story, download a complimentary app at www.tncivilwar150.com, email tn.civilwar150@tn.gov, or call 615-532-7520.