This year is the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in 1809. Most folks visiting Washington, DC begin reflecting on the life of the sixteenth president with a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. To get a deeper understanding of the man behind the Emancipation Proclamation, plan to expand your visit to include exhibitions about different aspects of Lincoln's life and death in the many other museums around the city.
Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
The National Gallery of Art has a small model explaining the architectural development of the Lincoln Memorial.
The Smithsonian Museum of American History recently opened a Lincoln exhibition in the newly renovated museum entitled Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life The exhibit includes Lincoln's pocket watch. The Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life exhibit is planned to run through January 2011 and includes a virtual exhibition.
Before Lincoln became president of the United States, he was a postmaster for the town of New Salem, Illinois. The Philatelic Gallery of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum has eleven unique certified plate proofs for postage stamps on display that all honor Abraham Lincoln. The stamps feature a variety of Lincoln portraits and were issued from 1894 to 1959. Certified plate proofs are the last printed proof of the plate before printing the stamps. The plate proofs include approval signatures and the date of approval. The certified plate proofs will be on exhibit through October 2010.
To further celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday, The Smithsonian National Postal Museum developed an on-line exhibition called From Postmaster To President: Celebrating Lincoln’s 200th Birthday Through Stamps & Postal History.
The Library of Congress has a spectacular collection of Lincoln materials. The library put together an astounding exhibit called With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition. The Library's exhibit opened in Washington, DC and is now touring around the country and can be viewed on line. The vignettes of Lincoln throughout his life are particularly interesting.
An official portrait of Lincoln hangs in the Presidents hall at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, along with portraits of every other president of the United States. The National Portrait Gallery had a special exhibition entitled One Life: The Mask of Lincoln that according to the museum staff "concentrates on presidential portraits to show the changing face that Abraham Lincoln presented to the world as he led the fight for the Union." One Life: The Mask of Lincoln closed on July 5, 2009, but can still be viewed on line. The audio tour of the One Life exhibit can also be heard on line.
Lincoln was inaugurated for his second term on March 6, 1865. That evening Lincoln held an inaugural ball. Although Lincoln did not know it at the time, the Civil War in its final stages. Six weeks later Lincoln would attend the Ford's Theater and be assassinated. The Reynolds Center, the building which houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, has an exhibition simulating the Lincoln inaugural ball experience. The exhibition includes an invitation to the ball, the lavish ball menu as well as engravings illustrating the night's events. On the floor of the exhibition are instructions on how to dance as they did 147 years ago. Children visiting this exhibit immediately get into the mode and begin dancing as if taken back in time. The exhibit also hints at what seasoned Washingtonians have known for year. The ball was poorly planned, resulting in fights over food,. The exhibit is guest curated by Charles Robertson, author of the recent book Temple of Invention: History of a National Landmark.
For those interested in seeing how President Lincoln and his family lived during the Civil War, visit the Lincoln Cottage. President Lincoln and his family summered in this home from June to November of 1862, 1863 and 1864. Lincoln's Cottage is located on the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) campus at the intersection of Rock Creek Church Road NW and Pusher Street NW. Be sure to schedule a tour before you go.
To understand Lincoln's life in the White House go to the virtual exhibit Mr. Lincoln's White House. To understand the Lincoln's personal dispare at the loss of their eldest son during the civil war, visit Robert Todd Lincoln's Tomb in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Arlington National Cemetery was created during the Lincoln administration. Arlington House was confiscated from the Lee family during the civil war. Lincoln and his generals intended to preclude the Lees from ever enjoying their property again. They turned the Lee’s home into a grave yard. Among the first buried were 1,800 Union casualties from the Battle of Bull Run.
No tour of Lincoln's time in the District would be complete without a visit to the Ford's Theater and Lincoln Museum. Ford's Theater recently opened its renovated museum in the basement of the building where Lincoln was was assassinated on April 14th, 1865. Across the street from the theater is the home where Lincoln was treated for his mortal wound and died. Both buildings are owned and run by the Department of Interior as part of the National Parks. Tours are led by guides wearing period dress.
The medical aspects of Lincoln's shooting are examined at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in their exhibit called Abraham Lincoln: The Final Casualty of the War. The National Museum of Health and Medicine is located at 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW in Washington, DC. You can find photos of the exhibit on flickr.
After viewing Ford's theater, the Lincoln Museum and the house where Lincoln died, head over to the Newseum to see their exhibit called Manhunt: Chasing Lincoln's Killer. Purchase tickets on line or at the Newseum
To see the fate of those charged with conspiracy to kill President Lincoln, walk over and buy a ticket for the National Museum of Crime and Punishment where you can view the instruments used to punish those found guilty of conspiracy to assassinate the president of the United States.
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