One hundred fifty years ago this week, the first shots were fired that began the Civil War. One hundred forty-six years ago this week, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, marking the beginning of the end of the Civil War.

A few days later, on April 14, 1865, our nation's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, lost his life at the hands of an assassin.

Thursday evening the Heritage Museum on the campus of Lincoln College was draped in mourning as this museum dedicated to the life of Abraham Lincoln remembered the loss of that great life.

On hand for the evening was Virgil Davis of Springfield, a retired mortician who has for over 50 years collected death and funeral memorabilia. Davis presented a one-hour talk in the Lile Lecture Hall and shared several pieces of his vast collection, including items related to Lincoln.

In the 1800s it was a common practice to cut locks of hair from the dead. Most often these locks were woven or quelled into jewelry, commonly known as mourning jewelry or decorative commemoratives.

Davis said it was the hair jewelry that first caught his attention and began his half-century quest to collect as many pieces as possible. Along the way his interest expanded, and today he has literally thousands of pieces in his collection, ranging from hair jewelry to hair samples to pieces of wood taken from the coffins of President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln.

During the course of the evening, he showed pieces from his collection to approximately 50 guests and recounted the capture and execution of the 10 conspirators involved in the assassination of Lincoln.

Among the pieces he shared, passing them around for the audience to touch and examine more closely, were hair bracelets and watch fobs, quelled hair artwork, and samples of hair from Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley and Mary Surratt; the only female involved in the Lincoln conspiracy. He noted that immediately after she was hung, Surratt's hair was cut and sold as souvenirs.

Several items that Davis presented Thursday evening will remain on loan to the museum, and the public is invited to stop in and look at everything the museum has to offer.

[NILA SMITH]

A black drape on a snow-white bust has a dramatic impact.

Before and after the lecture, several visited the museum.

This stirring portrait hangs on the east wall, looking out on all those who visit the museum.

In 1860s fashion, images in the museum are draped in black mourning cloth.

Museum curator Ron Keller introduced Davis.

This gavel is made from a tree planted the day Lincoln was buried.

This shadowbox bouquet is made from 100 percent quelled hair.

After the lecture, guests visited one-on-one with Davis.

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