GDG- Gettysburg park pulls plug on huge electric Civil War map

[Margaret D. Blough]

Bob,

To me, the most significant part of the story is, "After graduating college in the 1930s, Joseph L. Rosensteel conceived the idea of using lights on a military-style relief map to illustrate the three-day battle; the electric map debuted in 1939.
That map, which was displayed near the museum entrance, was replaced with a larger version installed in the floor of a 500-seat auditorium in 1963, a year before Rosensteel died of cancer."
An earlier story, also featuring Emily Rosensteel O'Neil, in the Baltimore Sun, explains why the Joseph Rosensteel replaced the original Electric Map, "Rosensteel made an early version of the map in 1939, when he was 25, but wanted to create a bigger and better one for the battle's centennial."
I can understand, and respect, Mrs. O'Neil's emotional attachment to the map, especially  due to her father's death shortly after its completion, and I don't know anyone who wants to denigrate Mr. Rosensteel's contribution and accomplishments.  However, the fact remains that what the park is doing in replacing the current Electric Map with the displays in the new Museum and Visitor's Center follows the precedent of why Joseph Rosensteel himself replaced his original creation with the current Electric map for the battle centennial.
It would be nice if someone did give it a home but I can understand why, so far, the park has found no takers for it, given its size, weight, and the difficulties in transporting it to a new home. 
Regards,
Margaret

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Robert Lawrence" <lawrence at rwlcpa.com> 

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