Tuesday, May 20 , 2014, will mark the 150th anniversary of the day photographer James Gardner took the image inspiring the "then and now" mashup below. Gardner's original caption for this view indicated the banner draped building, now extensively modified, served, along with its then adjoining twin, as the "Store-rooms of the U.S. Sanitary Commission." Fredericksburg residents will recognize the location today as the busy 300 block of William Street, home to numerous restaurants, offices, and specialty shops. In May 1864, much of the town served as hospital space to the Union Army which was hotly contesting Confederate forces to the west of town, in the Spotsylvania County countryside. The Sanitary Commission maintained their facilities in town as a relief agency for the sick and wounded. Click any of the images for larger inspection. The original Gardner image is in the collection of the Library of Congress.
Earlier in the year, I posted additional mashup images related to the Sanitary Commission operations at the intersection of William and Charles Streets.
Wishing all my readers a happy and prosperous New Year.
See you in 2014!
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