Work

Interior of Secession Hall

The interior of St. Andrew’s Hall, Charleston, photographed in December 1860.

The inside of St. Andrew’s Hall in December 1860 — the room where the South Carolina convention signed the ordinance of secession. It is the earliest Charleston photograph in this section, and it is a room rather than a fort: the war has not started yet.

The signing itself moved to Institute Hall the same evening, which is why that building acquired the name Secession Hall as well. Both are in this catalog.

On the attribution

“Photograph by George S. Cook. Information about date and photographer from: Portraits of Conflict: a Photographic History of South Carolina in the Civil War, by Richard B. McCaslin, pg. 45.” The Library’s own note names the book the attribution comes from.

The repository’s notes

Title from item. Photograph by George S. Cook. Information about date and photographer from Richard B. McCaslin, Portraits of Conflict, p. 45.

Research notes

The hall is called Secession Hall in the title. So is Institute Hall, elsewhere in this catalog and on this site. The convention met in one and signed in the other, and the name attached to both.

The record

Title, as catalogedInterior of Secession Hall
PhotographerGeorge Smith Cook
FirmGeorge S. Cook’s gallery
AttributionAttributed
Date, as cataloged[1860 Dec.]
PlaceSt. Andrew’s Hall, Charleston
Controlling forceConfederate-held
Processalbumen print
Formatphotographic print
Negative or printprint
CollectionCivil War Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)
Call numberLOT 4163 [item] [P&P]
Reproduction numberLC-DIG-ppmsca-19336 (digital file from original); LC-B8184-4391 (b&w film copy neg.)
Inscription on the mountNo. 4391. Mounted on board with five other photographs.
RepositoryLibrary of Congress
Credit lineLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
RightsNo known restrictions on publication
Rights advisory, verbatimNo known restrictions on publication.
Catalog recordhttps://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008680443/
ConfidenceVerified
Last verified2026-08-30

Sources