“Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory”  

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography," explains Deputy Secretary Dr. Jeffrey Crow of the N. C. Department of Cultural Resources..  The Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory exhibit at Fontana Regional Library through May 29 provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and now,”

The exhibit will display 24 images from the State Archives; the N.C. Museum of History; and State Historic Sites. Between April 2011 and May 2013, 50 libraries will showcase “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” offering visuals that present gallant women, African American triumph, and the perseverance of Confederate soldiers. A notebook will accompany the exhibit, giving further information and seeking viewer comments.

One of the images is a photograph of Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow, who was an imprisoned along with her daughter.   Greenhow was released after a few months, and later died after a blockade runner she was aboard ran aground.  While attempting escape in a small rowboat that capsized, she was weighed down by gold she was attempting to smuggle to Southern forces and drown in the surf.

The unique exhibit will share the history from regions of North Carolina, including the western mountains, to educate viewers about the hardships North Carolinians faced during this pivotal time in United States history. 

For information on the exhibit call (828) 488-2382.  For tour information visit www.nccivilwar150.com or call (919) 807-7389. The N.C. Museum of History, State Archives, and State Historic Sites are divisions of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council, and the State Archives. Cultural Resources champions North Carolina’s creative industry, which employs nearly 300,000 North Carolinians and contributes more than $41 billion to the state’s economy. To learn more, visit www.ncculture.com.

###

Photo Cutline:

This image, Rose O’Neal Greenhow, is one of the images from the Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit hosted by the Fontana Regional Library in May. (Photo courtesy of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources).