Abraham Lincoln Blog Now On Twitter

This bicentennial year of Mr. Lincoln's birth has been a busy one for celebrating all things Lincoln. Exhibits are continuing to open across the country almost weekly. Concerts and plays are being performed throughout the year. New coins have or will be issued. Discoveries of Lincoln documents or photos seemingly are announced monthly. Magazine articles about Lincoln have been printed in numerous publications. And of course, more Lincoln books are on the horizon all the time.

Like other Lincoln bloggers, it's been difficult for me to keep up. I always strive to report what I think are worthwhile Lincoln "events" but it's just not possible to report everything in a detailed blog post. That combined with a two-month illness in my family has really hindered my ability to post as frequently as I'd like as well as with the quality I demand of myself

I'm going to use Twitter in a couple of ways. First, I'll issue a "tweet" whenever I post a new article on the blog. That way, people can more rapidly find out that a new article is available for reading. Second, I'll use "tweets" for briefer announcements concerning Lincoln news or updates about the blog.

My Twitter user id for this blog is "Mr_Lincoln". Whether you're a longtime reader of this blog, or have found it only recently, please "follow" it on Twitter as together we learn more about Abraham Lincoln.

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New Lincoln Exhibition In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

An exhibition about Abraham Lincoln has opened this past weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Senator John Heinz History Center. Titled "Lincoln: The Constitution And The Civil War and Lincoln Slept Here," the exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Heinz History Center and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA.

"Lincoln: The Constitution And The Civil War" has been shown previously in other U.S. cities, including at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is an outstanding exhibit. If you missed it in Cincinnati, now is your opportunity to visit it in Pittsburgh. The purpose of this exhibit is to examine Lincoln's actions during the Civil War as they pertained to the U.S. Constitution. It features rare Lincoln artifacts, including a top hat; original copies of The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment (outlawing slavery); campaign ribbons; etc. My review of the exhibit may be found here .

The Heinz Center has added something new to the exhibit, though. "Lincoln Slept Here" is the new addition and features an original bed and bedroom set from the Monongahela House, the hotel where Lincoln stayed overnight in Pittsburgh (February 14, 1861) during his journey to Washington for his inauguration. The room he stayed in has been recreated in the museum and also contains the original washstand, dressing mirror, chairs, and even the chamber pot. Photos of other famous Lincoln-used beds are shown in this portion of the exhibit, including his birth bed; White House bed; and his death bed. "Lincoln Slept Here" explores Lincoln's visit to Pittsburgh, including his speech in which he tried to calm an anxious nation's fears.

The link I provided above to the Heinz History Center exhibition contains a video sneak preview. Check it out. The exhibition runs until 2010, so there is plenty of time yet to visit it. I plan on it myself, as I've never visited the History Center. It's associated with The Smithsonian Institution, so it must be excellent.

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President Lincoln At The Smithsonian

As the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth rapidly approaches, plans are in full swing across the country for exhibitions, lectures, concerts, plays, musicals, and countless other activities to celebrate his life. It would be nearly impossible to take in all of these events, so how can the average Lincoln fan get the most "bang for the buck" while participating in the national celebration?

The perfect place to begin, in my opinion, are the museums of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (My previous post discusses the rare exhibition of the Bliss Copy of the Gettysburg Address at the National Museum of American History. It's being shown for only 3 more weeks!) Five different exhibits at the various museums are either open now or will be open by January 2009. The "Lincoln At The Smithsonian" website describes all the exhibits, the dates they run, and the museums in which they are featured.

The most anticipated of these exhibits would have to be "Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life" at the National Museum of American History. This exhibit will feature more than 60 items Lincoln owned, acquired or used. Included will be the top hat (pictured above) he wore to Ford's Theater the night he was assassinated. The exhibit opens on January 16, 2009 and will run until 2011.

Also opening on January 16 at the Museum of American History is "America's New Birth of Freedom: Documents from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum" which includes a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. This and nine other documents written by Lincoln are on loan from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. These documents are on display until April 2009.

The National Portrait Museum is currently showing "One Life: The Mask Of Lincoln" which features 33 photographs and portraits of Lincoln. The link I've provided is a video which shows some of the items, along with an interview of the curator. The show runs until July 5, 2009.

At the American Art Museum, visitors can learn about President Lincoln's Second Inaugural Ball at the exhibit "The Honor of Your Company Is Requested: President Lincoln's Inaugural Ball." The ball was held on March 6, 1865 just six weeks before Lincoln's death. This exhibit displays a menu from the ball, an invitation, and other items. It's open until January 2010.

Not to be left out is the National Postal Museum, which is showing various plate proofs of stamps honoring Lincoln. These certified plate proofs are the final proof of the plate (engravings) prior to printing the stamps themselves. The exhibit is on until October 2010.

Of course while in Washington, you can absorb even more about President Lincoln by visiting the Lincoln Memorial and the recently re-opened Soldiers' Home which was used by the Lincoln family as a summer retreat during his time in office. And don't miss Ford's Theater, which re-opens after an extensive remodeling in February 2009.

Obviously there are other Lincoln Bicentennial Events throughout the country. The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission website found here is a great place to start. It contains a calendar of events for the bicentennial. The calendar is not all-encompassing, so be sure to search for events in your community.

As always, please continue to return to The Abraham Lincoln Blog for the latest news about Mr. Lincoln and his bicentennial. Thank you!

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Lincoln And The Constitution In The Civil War

Today's Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio) brings the news of yet another new exhibit about Abraham Lincoln. Opening today is "Lincoln: The Constitution And The Civil War" at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

The exhibit aims to examine how Lincoln dealt with the major constitutional issues he faced while president. Secession had already begun before he was even inaugurated. Barely a month into his presidency, the Civil War ignited at Fort Sumter, S.C. Finally, civil liberties were a major issue during the war itself.

A spokesman for the museum points out that the exhibition is not the typical homage to Lincoln. It critically examines his role in the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, which caused prisoners to be held without trial. Lincoln also didn't hesitate to halt publication of newspapers which were critical of his policies and administration. His crackdown on civil liberties during the war became a huge controversy. In fact, it was a significant issue in the election of 1864, which for a time Lincoln was not at all assured of winning. Democrats and other war opponents hammered him hard about the freedoms being lost during the war.

The exhibit will feature more than 100 artifacts on loan from the now closed Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana and other national institutions. Photos, documents signed by Lincoln, and other items will be on display. Visitors will be able to hear Lincoln's "voice" as recorded by the actor Sam Waterston as "Lincoln" reads from some of his speeches and letters. Other parts of the exhibit include recreated jail cells, a re-creation of Lincoln's inaugural speech, and an opportunity to "vote" in the 1864 election.

All in all, the exhibit seems as if it will be fascinating to those of us who study Lincoln. I think it's important that we examine the interaction of Lincoln and the Constitution, not just to learn more about Lincoln, but because there are lessons we can still learn today. Government of our own time is struggling to balance our civil rights with the need to protect our nation against terrorism while fighting two wars. Personally, I am angered that the government can now listen in on our phone conversations without search warrant and even demand from libraries a list of books we have borrowed. By viewing this exhibit, I hope to learn more about Lincoln and his own balancing act between civil liberties and preserving the union.

Originally created in 2005 by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the exhibit runs at the Freedom Center in Cincinnati until January 11, 2009.

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Lincoln Celebration At The Kennedy Center

A celebration of Abraham Lincoln's life is going to be staged at the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on February 2, 2009. "Our Lincoln" will be a joint production of the Kentucky Humanities Council and the University of Kentucky Opera Theater.

First performed earlier this year in Kentucky, "Our Lincoln" features a wide variety of performances, with the goal of celebrating Lincoln's "heart, soul, and legacy." A 150-voice choir will perform "River Of Time," a new "folk opera" about Lincoln as a young man. The University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to present "A Lincoln Portrait," the classic Aaron Copeland piece, featuring Mark O' Connor, who played the haunting "Ashokan Farewell" in Ken Burn's "The Civil War." Other acts in this program include narration by former National Public Radio host Bob Edwards; a performance by Metropolitan Opera Star Angela Brown; poetry readings; and a host of others.

Click here for more information about this performance. The official "Our Lincoln" website is here. Finally, the Kennedy Center official site may be found here.

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Connecticut Joins The Lincoln Celebrations

Back on June 13, I published a post about Hartford, Connecticut dedicating a sculpture garden to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Now the entire state is going to join in for the celebrations for the bicentennial of his birth.

According to the July 26th edition of the Norwich Bulletin, a 14-member panel has been formed to help Connecticut plan its celebrations. The article describes a visit Lincoln made to Norwich back in March of 1860 to campaign for a friend, William Buckingham, who was running for governor of the state. Lincoln had made previous stops in Hartford and New Haven before arriving in Norwich. Thanks in part to Lincoln's campaigning, his friend won the governorship by 700 votes.

The image I've included in this posting shows a banner which was made in advance of Lincoln's visit. It still exists and is on display in Norwich City Hall. An interesting story from the article details how this banner was long thought to have been lost, until it showed up for auction in 1997 at a New York City auction house. A local Norwich group raised more than $35,000 to buy the banner, bring it back home, and restore it. A good story. The banner is lovely.

The other items in the image are of course the famous 1863 photo of Lincoln. The other small photo is of the hotel where Lincoln gave a speech while in Norwich.

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National Portrait Gallery To Stage Lincoln Exhibit

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. will stage a new exhibition beginning November 7, 2008 titled "One Life: The Mask Of Lincoln." The purpose of the exhibition is to explore how Lincoln crafted his public persona through the use of images.

The exhibition will feature approximately 30 images, all owned by the Gallery. Included in the exhibition are the famous 1865 "cracked plate" (shown to the left) photograph taken by Alexander Gardner; the 1857 "tousled hair" portrait by an unknown photographer; and the Matthew Brady "Cooper Union" photo, which Lincoln himself considered to be the image which made him president. Additional images include sketches and prints. For more information on the "cracked plate" image, long thought to the be last photo of Lincoln (but not), click here for a description from the Gallery.

The exhibition will run through July 5, 2009. This site from Artdaily.org contains more information about the show.

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Illinois Lincoln Birthday Celebration Underwhelming

A couple of posts ago, I discussed the fact that the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in Illinois had its budget cut by the governor of that state due to financial problems in that state. Now this article discusses some of the ways the state of Illinois will celebrate the 200th birthday of its most famous son.

The Commission is going to have schoolchildren across Illinois simultaneously read The Gettysburg Address. Good idea, but hopefully teachers will take the time to explain the meaning of the address, the importance of it in American history, and emphasize the fact that it's one of the finest speeches ever written. Without context, the point of having kids read it aloud will be lost.

The next idea is to have churches across Illinois toll their bells on February 12, 2009. That could be moving and help people remember Lincoln. But when you think about it, this idea doesn't make a lot of sense. Lincoln never officially joined any church and he most likely was never baptized. He did attend services on occasion, but he was not a "Christian" in the traditional meaning of the word.

Finally, the Commission is going to ask businesses to put "Happy Birthday, Abe" on their signs, boards, marquees, etc. This strikes me as a little ridiculous.

Even with budgetary restrictions, surely the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in Illinois could come up with better ideas to celebrate and remember Lincoln. For example, it could pay for a re-enactment of the celebrations held in Springfield upon Lincoln's election to the presidency. A special book commemorating Lincoln could be written and sold through the state. It could organize a special "Lincoln Festival" in Springfield.

Anyway, this is only my opinion. I just think that the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln requires more dignified celebrations than asking businesses to display the words "Happy Birthday, Abe" out front.

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Lincoln Birthday To Be Less Happy?

Mr. Lincoln appears to be slightly sad as depicted by this bust located in Burbank, California. If planned budget cuts become reality next year in Illinois, Abe's 200th birthday celebrations might be a little less happy than expected.

In an article from the July 12, 2008 edition of the Herald and Review, details are presented about how Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has slashed about half of the annual budget for state historic sites due to economic tough times in the state. His budget also includes $3.7 million less for the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission than the Illinois legislature had budgeted. Most of the commission money would be used to help local communities stage their own Lincoln programs and exhibits in commemoration of the bicentennial.

Let's hope that the money can be restored along the way. While the state of Illinois is planning it's own celebrations, it would be a shame if there is no money for smaller communities to honor our nation's 16th president.

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Modern Dance Commissioned For Lincoln Bicentennial

Abe Sits This One Out

According to the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, one of the latest projects planned for the celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth is a specially commissioned modern dance. The dance will be debuted at the famous Ravinia Festival north of Chicago, but there is no scheduled date. The man who will create the work, Bill T. Jones, is a Tony Award-winning choreographer. The work is to be a full-length dance which will encompass an entire evening.

Lincoln of course appreciated poetry, Shakespeare, and other fine writing. He attended the theater often and also took in traveling troupes of performers. Still, the creation of a dance is a bit ironic when the story about Lincoln asking Mary Todd to dance is recalled. He said something along the lines of "Miss Todd, I would like to dance with you in the worst way." Later on, Mary quipped "And he certainly did!".

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