Portraits of the Presidents
Lincoln Presidential Library hosts C-SPAN exhibit of portraits from Washington to Obama

[May 11, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD – Portraits of every president from George Washington to Barack Obama will be on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum when the library welcomes C-SPAN’s “American Presidents: Life Portraits.”

A free special preview and panel discussion will be held May 20, followed by the exhibit’s public opening May 21. It runs through July 7 (with the exception of June 5-8).

“This promises to be a fascinating exhibit, and the Lincoln Presidential Library is proud to bring it to Springfield,” said Eileen Mackevich, the presidential library’s executive director.

“American Presidents: Life Portraits” features the only complete collection of American presidential oil portraits by one artist, renowned North Carolina painter and sculptor Chas Fagan. Accompanying the Fagan portraits are biographical sketches of every president and first lady.
 

The exhibit has been extensively re-designed since its last public appearance In addition to the sketches, it includes photographs from the White House Historical Association that capture each president’s time in the White House. Visitors will be able to hear the voice of every president beginning with Theodore Roosevelt and watch biographical videos of each president on their smart phones.

The updated version makes its national debut at the Lincoln Presidential Library.

The free preview reception starts at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, in the library atrium (112 N. Sixth Street, Springfield). Then at 6:30, C-SPAN President and Co-COO Rob Kennedy will speak about the exhibit.

That will be followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Mackevich. Participants include historian Holly Kent from the University of Illinois at Springfield on the influence and power of the first ladies; historian Charles Branham from the University of Chicago Laboratory School on President Obama's politics and campaigns; and Mathew Holden, a political science professor at UI-Springfield, on presidential power.

To reserve space at the reception and roundtable, visit www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov and click on “special event reservations” or call [phone].

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln documents, photographs, artifacts and art. It also has some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history, making the library one of the nation’s leading institutions for genealogy and history research.

[Cheis Wills, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]