Post Civil War
Grand Army of the Republic Boston Parade Albumen Photo
c. 1890 Civil War Grand Army (GAR) of the Republic Group II, Boston Parade Large Albumen Photograph, Very Fine.


This large, 8" x 9.75" Albumen Photograph is mounted to its larger heavy card matte measuring about 10" x 12", showing the Grand Army of the Republic Parade held in Boston in 1890. Its peak membership, at more than 490,000, was in 1890, a high point of various Civil War commemorative and monument dedication ceremonies. Some minor light foxing to photo, overall in nice condition for display. Throngs of thousands of onlookers line the street on either side in an impressive turnout.
The "Grand Army of the Republic" (G.A.R.) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), Marines and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War for the Northern/Federal forces.



Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, and growing to include hundreds of posts (local community units) across the nation, (predominately in the North, but also a few in the South and West), it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member, Albert Woolson (1847-1956) of Duluth, Minnesota, died. Linking men through their experience of the war, the G.A.R. became among the first organized advocacy groups in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, promoting patriotic education, help to make Memorial Day a national holiday, lobbying the United States Congress to establish regular veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates.



Its peak membership, at more than 490,000, was in 1890, a high point of various Civil War commemorative and monument dedication ceremonies. It was succeeded by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (S.U.V.C.W.), composed of male descendants of Union Army and Union Navy veterans.