Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

The thirteen inch mortar "Dictator"

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05111.01.1142 Author/Creator: Place Written: s.l. Type: Photograph Date: circa 1861-1865 Pagination: 1 photograph Height: 9.2 cm, Width: 9.2 cm Order a Copy

The image shows the mortar on a large wooden platform. Ten soldiers stand or sit around the gun. Four cannon balls are stacked to the side. Inscription on verso: "The thriteen-inch mortar 'Dictator'." Numeric notations on verso: "34" and "199." Numeric notation on verso: "199."

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