Happy birthday, Mrs. Lincoln!
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum marks Mary Lincoln’s 200th birthday with special event Dec. 13

 

[December 07, 2018] 

Mary Lincoln remains one of the most fascinating first ladies in history, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will celebrate her 200th birthday with special events on Dec. 13.

State Historian Samuel Wheeler will highlight Mary Lincoln documents and artifacts in the library’s collection, explaining their significance to her and to history. Then he’ll interview Mrs. Lincoln (portrayed by Pam Brown) and they will take questions from the audience.

The library will also display records officially recording Mary Lincoln’s burial in Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery in the tomb where her husband and three of her children also rest. The records belong to the city of Springfield but are stored at the presidential library to keep them safe.

The items Wheeler will highlight include:

Her diamond necklace from Tiffany’s

An invitation she wrote for her son Willie’s birthday party

The fan she reportedly carried on the night of her husband’s assassination

Documents related to the trial in which she was declared insane

Selections from the library’s collection of letters written by Mrs. Lincoln, the largest such collection in the world.

The free event takes place Dec. 13 at 12:30 in the presidential library (112 N. Sixth Street, Springfield, Ill.). It is part of the “Tales from the Vault” series that the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum offers in conjunction with the Illinois State Museum.

The Q&A with Mary Lincoln will be available on the library and museum’s Facebook page later in the day.

In addition to appearing with Wheeler, historic interpreter Pam Brown will portray Mrs. Lincoln in the museum’s main plaza 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-3 p.m., answering visitors’ questions and posing for pictures.

The book recording Mary Lincoln’s 1882 funeral will be on display in the library building, where there is no admission fee. It can be seen Dec. 11 through Dec. 31. The city of Springfield recently had the rare document restored, along with a separate book showing the 1865 interment of President Lincoln and his son Willie.

Mary Ann Todd was born in Lexington, Ky, on Dec. 13, 1818. She grew up in a wealthy household and received an excellent education. At age 21, she began living with her older sister Elizabeth in Springfield, where she was courted by many young men. But the one she fell in love with was an awkward, unrefined lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to telling the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology. It also serves as the state historical library.

The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln material, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to other aspects of Illinois history. The Museum uses exhibits, eye-catching special effects and innovative story-telling to educate and inspire visitors from around the world.

Learn more at www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov 

[Christopher Wills]