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Richmond Nineteenth-Century Print Collection

by VCU Libraries Commons

The collection contains over 100 images of buildings, streetscapes, events, and scenes of daily life of Richmond, Virginia.

Because of its status as the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond was often the focus of interest by American and British journals during and after the Civil War. The images presented here date from 1853 to 1901.

The collection is composed of images from the following periodicals: American Architect and Building News (3 images, 1884-1893), Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (24 images, 1858-1891), Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion (2 images, 1853), Harper's Weekly (86 images, 1858-1890), Illustrated London News (6 images, 1856-1865), and the Richmond Dispatch (25 images, originally published in a Confederate Reunion special issue in 1896).

141 photos · 1.2K views

Cold Harbor, nine miles from Richmond, VA., near General M'Clellan's Head-Quarters - Scene of a skirmish on May 24

Sketches in Richmond, Va.

Before Petersburg -- Confederate fort and line of works near Burgess Mills, captured by the Sixth Corps, April 2, 1865

View of Richmond, Virginia, from the Libby Prison

Exhuming the remains of President Monroe in the Second Street Cemetery

Ceremony at the grave, in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

Christmas in Virginia -- A present from the great house

Dover Mills, on the James River and Kanawha Canal, Virginia; Rocketts Landing, Richmond, Virginia

Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia -- Decorating the graves of the Confederate soldiers, May 31, 1867

Richmond College, Richmond, Virginia

Ruins on Main Street, Richmond

Confederate soldiers taking the oath of allegiance in the Senate Chamber at Richmond, Virginia

Topographical map of Eastern Virginia From Fredericksburg to Richmond taken from tracings (now in the possession of the government) of the original railroad surveys of this portion of the state, comprising the topography for six miles on each side of the

Virginia -- The Home for Ex-Confederate Soldiers and Sailors at Richmond

Prison and jailers at Richmond; 4th Story, Prison No. 2, Richmond

Civil War in America: High-Street, Richmond, Virginia

Belzoro Gold Mine, in Goochland County, Virginia

Entrance to the mine before Petersburg, Va., as it appeared previous to the explosion on the morning of July 30

Misses Cooke's school room, Freedman's Bureau. Richmond, Va.

Virginia -- The inauguration of Governor F. W. M. Holliday, at Richmond, January 1st

Jefferson, Richmond, Va.; Carrère & Hastings: Arch'ts

Enslaved people waiting for auction, Virginia

Union cemetery recently completed at Cold Harbor, Va.

Tredegar Iron-Works, at Richmond, Virginia

Wood-sellers, Richmond, Virginia

Opening of the Virginia Agricultural, Mechanical and Tobacco Exposition at Richmond, October 3; Advance column of the military and civic parade passing down Broad Street

Inundation of Richmond

First African Church, Richmond, Virginia -- Baptizing

State and Confederate Capitol

Representation of the equestrian statue of Washington, at Richmond, Virginia

Panorama of Richmond, Virginia, after its capture by the Federals [Part 1]

Opening of the Virginia Agricultural, Mechanical and Tobacco Exposition at Richmond, October 3; Main Exposition Building

Confederate iron-clad fleet forcing the obstructions in James River

Tent of the American Union Commission, Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia, July 4, 1865

Army of the Potomac -- the Confederates evacuating Mechanicsville under the fire of Union batteries

Jefferson Davis, R.E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson portrait puzzle

Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, Virginia -- Train starting out from Richmond; James River and Kanawha Canal, Richmond, Virginia

Jefferson Hotel

James River and Kanawha Canal, Richmond, Virginia

Scene at the unveiling of the monument to General Robert E. Lee at Richmond, Virginia

Outside of the Warwick Mill, in which the city of Richmond feasted the Seventh Regiment and Richmond Volunteers

Libby Prison, from a photograph taken a few days after the evacuation

Virginia -- The new building of the Young Men's Christian Association, Richmond, just erected by the ladies of that city

Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, Virginia -- Train starting out from Richmond

Panorama of Richmond, Virginia, after its capture by the Federals [Part 2]

Exterior view of the Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia

New Market, corner of Market and Sixth Street, Richmond Va.

Spotswood Hotel

Prisons at Richmond -- Union troops prisoners at Belle Isle

Encampment of Union prisoners at Belle Isle, Richmond, Virginia

Richmond calamity -- Interior of Hall of Delegates -- Getting out the dead and wounded

Chamber of Commerce

Rendezvous of our fleet in James River, off City Point, drawn on the spot, May 29, 1862

First African Church, Richmond, Virginia -- Exterior of the church

Dover Mills, on the James River and Kanawha Canal, Virginia

View of Belle Island on the James River, opposite Richmond

State Convention at Richmond, Va., in session

Washington Monument at Richmond, Virginia

Virginia State Agricultural Fair at Richmond -- Visit of President Hayes -- Virginia's welcome to the President at the Fair

Old Mechanics' Institute

Richmond's magnificent City Hall

Virginia -- Southern honors to the memory of the great Confederate chieftain --Laying of the corner-stone of the Robert E. Lee Monument at Richmond, October 27th.; Gen. Lee's former residence; The procession on Main Street

Prison and jailers at Richmond

Virginia -- Richmond College, as completed, with its new dormitories, library, museum and art halls

Rocketts Landing, Richmond, Virginia

Birds eye view of Richmond and the vicinity

Confederate Museum; The White House of the Confederacy

Some of the most conspicuous Richmond memorials

View of Richmond, Virginia

Opening of the Virginia Agricultural, Mechanical and Tobacco Exposition at Richmond, October 3

Auction of enslaved people at Richmond, Virginia

Map of Richmond, Virginia, and its environs, showing the Confederate forts, etc.

View of the auditorium and exposition grounds

Civil War in America: Drury's Bluff, a Confederate position on the James River, near Richmond

Rear view of the Davis Mansion

A.P. Hill Monument

Children searching for food in Richmond, Virginia

Peace. Meeting of Horace Greeley and Jeff Davis at Richmond

Prison and jailers at Richmond; Confederate prisons on Main St. near 25th St. Richmond, Virginia

Virginia -- Method of removing snow from the streets of Richmond

Opening of the Virginia Agricultural, Mechanical and Tobacco Exposition at Richmond, October 3; Formal opening of the exhibition by Governor Lee

Sergeant Bates with the flag passing through Richmond

Riot in Richmond, May 11, 1867 -- The soldiers dispersing the mob

Assembling for the meet; A scene on the lawn in front of the Deep Run Hunt Club, Richmond, Virginia

Richmond election, July 25, 1865 -- The polling at the First Market-House, Corner of Maine and 17th Streets

How the city looked just after the evacuation

Army of the Potomac -- General Davidson's Brigade taking possession of Mechanicsville, near Richmond, Virginia, May 24, 1862

Richmond -- A cigarette factory

Provincial Government House, Richmond, Va.

New state library building, to the east of the Capitol

Incarcerated laborers at Richmond

Design for a pair of semi-detached residences, M.J. Dimmock, architect, Richmond, Virginia

Davis Mansion as it appeared during the war

First municipal election in Richmond since the end of the war -- Registration of colored voters

View of Richmond, Virginia

Design adopted for the Davis Monument, Percy Griffin, architect

Our troops marching down into the trenches before Richmond

Great Industrial and Agricultural Exposition at Richmond, Virginia

Last reconnoissance of the war balloon on the James River

Richmond calamity -- Removing the dead and wounded from the Capitol

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