Illustrating Self-Emancipation

New Temporary Exhibit open at The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research

At the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in the Allen County Public Library’s Main downtown location, a new temporary exhibit highlights how two illustrated newspapers in the 1860s covered an often-overlooked aspect of the Civil War: the self-emancipation of enslaved Americans. In this exhibit available January 21, 2026, through March 24, 2026, visitors can view a selection of four lithograph illustrations from Harper’s Weekly: A Journal of Civilization and Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper depicting moving scenes of self-emancipation and the “contraband” camps of Black refugees that sprang up around Union armies.

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