NEWS: “Faces of Civil War Nurses: A Photo Exhibit” Opens in Washington D.C.

The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum, located in Washington D.C., is hosting a new temporary exhibit, “Faces of Civil War Nurses,” featuring portraits and personal stories of women who served as nurses during the American Civil War. In partnership with Military Images magazine, the exhibit debuted at a special opening event on May 24, 2025, during National Nurses Month.

It is estimated that over 20,000 women served as nurses during the war. They were all volunteers and endured long hours and multiple tours of duty across numerous battlefields and communities. They served both on the front lines and in hospitals across the country.

“During the Civil War, thousands of courageous women stepped beyond traditional roles to serve as nurses, caring for the wounded and sick in the chaos of war’s brutal realities. In this exhibit, you’ll stand face to face with life-sized portraits of 20 of these intrepid pioneers who shaped the future of nursing and redefined the role of women in American society,” said Military Images Editor and Publisher Ron Coddington. “This is a rare glimpse into their resilience, sacrifice, and humanity.”

“We owe a debt of gratitude to these women, who not only tended to the sick and wounded of the Civil War, but who also trailblazed a path for modern nurses and medicine that still impacts us today,” said David Price, executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, which administers the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum. “This exhibit is a tribute to their lasting legacy. We can’t think of a better place to debut it than the Civil War-era home and office of one of the nation’s most famous nurses and humanitarians, Clara Barton.”

Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum is the restored boarding house Barton lived in, used to store supplies for soldiers during the Civil War, and operated as an office to assist families in locating missing soldiers after the war.

At the outset of the Civil War, females were forbidden to serve in “indelicate” medical settings, but women quickly broke down such social conventions, risking both disease and the brutal realities of war to care for the sick and wounded. More than 20,000 women served as nurses during the conflict, providing invaluable aid, including changing bandages, cooking food, comforting the dying, and innumerable other tasks.

The exhibit will be on display at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum through September 1st. The site is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hear more about the exhibit from Dana Shoaf, the museum’s director of interpretation, and Melissa Winn, the museum’s director of marketing and communication, in this exclusive ECW interview:

About Military Images

Military Images  is America’s only magazine dedicated solely to the study of Civil War photography. Its ongoing mission is to showcase, interpret, and preserve these rare images. In each quarterly issue of MI, readers find a mix of analysis, case studies, examinations of material culture, and personal stories that offer a unique perspective on the human aspect of the Civil War. Established in 1979, Military Images  is available in print and digital.

About the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is the premier center for the preservation and research of the legacy of Civil War Medical innovation and humanitarianism. As a living institution, we utilize artifacts, storytelling, and the historic lessons derived from that era to educate and inspire, connecting the challenges of the past with present issues. The nonprofit, charitable organization also operates the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office in Washington, D.C., and the Pry House Field Hospital on the Antietam National Battlefield.