Two exhibitions look back at Civil War and ties to the region

Albert, a physician and, later, a professor at Albany Medical College, kept detailed records of all the soldiers he treated and his medical practice was informed by them.

Through ephemera such as souvenirs and donation catalogs, the exhibit also examines the efforts of local women, including Clara Harris, who raised $117,000 for medical care for Union troops by organizing the Albany Relief Bazaar in 1864.

The Mandeville Gallery takes a broader look at the war with "Illustrating the War," an exhibit jointly curated by Union College associate professor of history Andrea R. Foroughi, Joseph Privitera, a senior in the history program, and interim gallery director Marie Costello.

Because both newspapers were based in New York, the curators note, these images have a Northern slant.

After graduation, he returned to his native city, Dubuque, Iowa, where, soon after the attack on Fort Sumter, he sketched the emotional scene as a crowd gathered to send volunteers off to fight.

While both exhibits are sure to appeal to Civil War history buffs, "Illustrating the War" may grab a broader audience, because it gives insight into how the war was "sold" to the American people and raises questions about how our impressions of war can be shaped by the media.