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Most of us picture the men who fought the American Revolution as paintings and engravings. On Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 7 p.m., the Mendham Township Library in Brookside is showing what some of them really looked like, with a free talk on actual photographs of Revolutionary War veterans.
The program, called “Our First Soldiers: Revolutionary War Veteran’s Images,” is part of the library’s America 250 programming and is led by historical lecturer and tour guide Michael Jesberger. Admission is free, but space is limited and registration is required.
Why These Photos Are So Rare
Practical photography did not arrive until the early 1840s, and by then only a small number of Revolutionary War veterans were still alive. The few who sat for a camera were photographed as daguerreotypes, the earliest popular form of photography, which produced a single, one-of-a-kind image on a polished metal plate.
Jesberger’s talk focuses on those camera-original, fully identified photographs of men who served in the war, putting real faces to a generation we usually only meet in history books. It is a fitting follow-up to Veterans Day, which falls the night before.
Date, Time, and Location
- When: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 7 p.m.
- Where: Mendham Township Library, 2 West Main Street, Brookside, NJ 07926
- Cost: Free
- Registration: Required, and space is limited. Sign up through the library’s event listing or the library events calendar.
More America 250 History in Mendham
The library’s 250th lineup continues on December 1 with a program on Washington Crossing the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton, listed on the Morris County 250th events calendar.
Making a night of it? Our guide to things to do in Mendham covers where to eat nearby, and our roundup of the best historic sites in Morris County has more Revolutionary War stops to visit. For the rest of the week’s tributes, see our Veterans Day guide for Morris County.
Featured image: Mendham Township Library event graphic.
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