Showing 2841 - 2850 of 3250 Records
Civil War Era Soldiers' Portraits
- The Maine State Archives has almost 2500 identified and 350 unidentified images of veterans of the Civil War. Many more in our holdings have not been identified. These cartes de visite (CDV) photographs were usually an albumen print mounted on a card and measured about 2 ½ wide x 4” high. First patented in 1854, these inexpensive photos became very popular during the Civil War. During that war, Maine Adjutant General John Hodsdon issued a circular requesting Maine’s officers to send in copies of their photographs. Since then, many more CdVs have been donated to the Maine State Archives, including the Tom MacDonald and the Hosmer-Low collections, as well as many individual images donated by descendants of these veterans.
Augusta Mental Health Institute (AMHI)
- The Augusta Mental Health Institute (AMHI) began in 1840 as the Maine Insane Hospital. Mental health advocate Dorothea Dix was a consultant on the project, believing fresh air and removal from the stresses of society were important for patient care. Tragically, 27 patients died when the hospital caught fire on December 4, 1850. The hospital was later known as the Augusta Insane Asylum. The name changed again in 1913 to the Augusta State Hospital, and in 1973 to the Augusta Mental Health Institute. AMHI closed in 2004, replaced by Riverview Psychiatric Center on the same campus.