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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Presidential Art Exhibition In Cooperstown New York

In addition to being fascinated by Abraham Lincoln, I'm also keenly interested in the rest of the presidents of the United States and their life stories. An exhibition being held in Cooperstown, New York at the Fenimore Art Museum has caught my attention.

Titled "Of, By and For the People: The Art Of Presidential Elections", the exhibition opened last month at the museum. The exhibit features rare folk art from 19th century presidential campaigns. The artwork comes from other museums and private collections from around the country, and includes pottery, needlework, paintings, and other items.

The image I've posted here is obviously of Abraham Lincoln from the 1864 election when Andrew Johnson was his running mate. It was painted by Issac Weatherby of Iowa City, Iowa and is part of the Putnam Museum. The banner is one of the centerpieces of the exhibition in Cooperstown.

I'm a bit disappointed in the Fenimore Art Museum webpage about the exhibition. It would have been nice if it would show more than this banner and one other piece of art. No mention is made just how many artifacts are on display, so I don't know if it's worth seeing or not. I just thought this banner of Lincoln is beautiful and I wanted to share.

The exhibition closes December 31, 2008.

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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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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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Rarest Lincoln Signature To Be Displayed In Philadelphia

The rarest Abraham Lincoln signature of them all is to be displayed for the next decade at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The only known signature of Lincoln he made in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863 is a national treasure.

The autograph of Lincoln is in a book which contains the signatures of other dignitaries who were gathered in Gettysburg that day for the dedication of the national cemetery, the scene of Lincoln's immortal Gettysburg Address.

According to this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, the autograph book was purchased for a staggering $937,000 at a Sotheby's (New York) auction by Lewis Katz, a philanthropist who is part owner of the New York Yankees and New York Nets. He in turn decided to loan it to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Among the other signatures in the book are those of William H. Seward, Lincoln's Secretary of State who was nearly killed on the night of Lincoln's assassination; and Abner Doubleday, credited by some experts as the inventor of modern baseball.

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Unusual Lincoln Exhibit To Open

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will open a new Abraham Lincoln exhibition on March 6, 2008. The exhibition will feature artifacts and displays about Lincoln's second inaugural ball, which was held in the building which now houses the museum on March 6, 1865.

The exhibition will relate the ball to the building and its history. Items to be on exhibit will include invitations to the ball and a menu from it as well.

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