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A painting entitled The Independent Greens, the work of an unknown artist, depicts the Second Brigade of Volunteers, circa 1842-1845, drawn from Armstrong, Indiana and Jefferson coun­ties. They are believed to have been enlisted with the Seventh or Ninth Battalion of the Fifteenth Division. The oil on canvas de­picts the militia unit marching past a building identified as “Armory/Independent Greens.” Researchers are attempting to identify the town in western Pennsylvania portrayed in The Inde­pendent Greens, as well as the identity of the artist and informa­tion about the military unit. Individuals and institutions able to furnish such information are asked to write: Thomas Colville, 58 Trumbull St., New Haven, CT 06511; or telephone (203) 787-2816.

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is preparing an accurate, thorough and annotated edition of the law practice of Abraham Lincoln. Entitled The Lincoln Legals: A Documentary History of the Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln, 1836-1861, project editors are currently collecting documents, records, letters, con­temporary printed accounts or after-the-fact recollections that relate to Lincoln’s entire law practice. Information should be directed to: William D. Beard, Associate Editor, The Lincoln Le­gals, 1HPA Drawer 217, Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62701; or telephone (217) 785-9130.

Information regarding the Coleman family of Cornwall, Leba­non County, a prominent and prosperous family of ironmasters (see “A Dynasty Tumbles” by Jan Margut Habecker in the winter 1987 issue of this magazine) is currently being sought for study. At one time, the Colemans were one of the nation’s wealthiest families, owning thousands of acres of prime forested lands in Pennsylvania, a summer resort, entire villages, a railroad line, banks and, of course, the Cornwall Iron Furnace. Also desired are photographs of William Coleman’s family, particularly Robert Habersham Coleman and Ann Caroline Coleman, and the fami­ly’s mansion and grounds, circa 1855-1895. The researcher wel­comes depictions of R. H. Coleman’s first and second mansions, as well as of the accompanying stables, music hall, lodge and conservatory about 1878 to 1914. Particularly sought is R. H. Coleman’s map book containing property maps, railroad draw­ings and architectural plans. Individuals and institutions able to share this and related information are encouraged to write: John R. Feitig, 1439 Cornwall Rd., Lebanon, PA 17042.

In preparation for a major permanent exhibition entitled “Finding Philadelphia,” scheduled to open in December 1989, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is attempting to locate and compile visuals of Philadelphia’s past through motion picture footage shot between 1900 and 1940. The society is urging corpo­rations, associations, institutions, libraries, museums and similar repositories to check their holdings for such film coverage. Indi­viduals with home movies depicting a particular neighborhood or section of the city are encouraged to share their films. All films used in “Finding Philadelphia” will be returned to owners com­pletely cleaned, expertly spliced and – most importantly – with a videotape safety copy. This is the first project to collect early motion pictures of Philadelphia from various sources throughout the United States for a single presentation. Please write: Judith Goldschmidt, Director of Public Relations, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107; or tele­phone (215) 732-6201.