Behind the scenes of ‘The Rivalry’
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum explains the creation of big baseball exhibit May 16

[May 12, 2017]  SPRINGFIELD – Two teams, two museums, 140 years of history and millions of screaming fans. What did it take to transform all that into the “Cubs vs. Cards: The Rivalry,” the latest exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum?

Find out May 16, when the ALPLM presents the latest in its “Evening with the Creators” series. Visitors will hear from experts at the presidential library, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Cardinals Hall of Fame and the Chicago Cubs.

This free event begins at 6:30 p.m., but museum doors open at 6 p.m. so visitors will have time to tour “The Rivalry.” There will be an opportunity to meet the curators after the panel discussion. For reservations, visit www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov and click on “special event reservations.”

"Cubs vs. Cardinals: The Rivalry" explores one of the greatest rivalries in sports, a competition that has divided Illinois down the middle for generations. It includes material from 1871 to 2016, and from stars such as Hack Wilson, Stan Musial, Lou Brock and Greg Maddux.

Pulling it together wasn’t easy. Artifacts had to be tracked down. Choices had to be made about what to include and leave out. A game of detail and statistics had to be boiled down to the essentials.

Telling that story will be Dr. Samuel Wheeler, Illinois state historian; Tom Shieber, senior curator at the National Baseball Hall of Fame; Paula Homan, curator of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum; and Lydia Wahlke, vice president and general counsel for the Chicago Cubs.

The event is part of the special programming offered in conjunction with “The Rivalry.” Other events in the works include a family picnic and screening of “Field of Dreams,” a visit by the makers of Louisville Slugger baseball bats, a presentation by an expert on baseball’s Civil War connections and regular children’s activities.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum dedicated to telling the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology.

The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history. The museum uses traditional exhibits, eye-catching special effects and innovative story-telling techniques to educate visitors.

For more information, please visit www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov.

[Shanta Thoele
Executive Secretary
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library]