About The Collection The collection accumulated by Dr. Nathanson numbers some 3500 monographs, in forty languages, as well as 1050 pamphlets, several periodical runs, including Lincoln Lore and the Lincoln Herald, over 250 images of Lincoln, some serious, some rather defamatory, mostly prints, among which are two complete sets of Currier and Ives, several paintings, at least 30 sculptures, full figure or busts, smaller items, such as mourning badges, medals, memorabilia, etc., complete sets of Lincoln motif china, chairs from Lincoln's office or home, etc. All of these may still be found elsewhere. The unique item held by McGill is Surgeon Charles Sabin Taft's Diary . In this small notebook the twenty-three year-old surgeon in charge of the Signal Corps Camp of Insurrection at Red Hill, Georgetown, recorded his account of Lincoln's wounding at the Ford Theatre, where he too was in attendance, and continues into the early hours of April 15th, 1865, when the President breathed his last. According to one researcher, "even though Surgeon Taft's recollections have been published many times", he had not been able to locate any publication that gave these notes verbatim. "They are more complete than anything I've yet seen and they contain a few surprises". When searching Lincolniana, one becames aware of the great collections housed in the United States, paramount among these, of course is the Library of Congress, an institution which has benefited from donations, including items other than books, such as original paintings of Lincoln, prints, sculptures and other ephemera. Many university and specialized libraries, especially in the mid-west United States, Illinois in particular, include Lincoln collections; some, like Brown University in Rhode Island, have lovely Lincoln Rooms to complement their collections. It is likely that McGill's Collection will fall somewhat short in comparison. Yet, in Canada, it shines as a unique and valuable collection, especially for those interested in American history and culture.