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 The medallions, engraved with the city, date and “In Memoriam A.L.,”
have not been together since shortly after Lincoln’s funeral and
have not been seen by the public since then. One was found in the
archives of a St. Louis library, and the other belongs to a private
collector in Texas.
“Until a few months ago, only a handful of people in the entire
world knew these historic medallions still existed. Tracking them
down and reuniting them for the public to see is incredibly
exciting, especially when the nation is commemorating the 150th
anniversary of President Lincoln’s death,” said James Cornelius,
curator of the presidential library’s Lincoln Collection.
The medallions are just two pieces among dozens in “A Fiendish
Assassination,” the exhibit opening April 2 at the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum. Many of the items have never before
been displayed.
 Among the items visitors will see are:
- The only surviving photograph of Lincoln in his coffin
- Part of a towel stained with Lincoln’s blood
- Robert Lincoln’s urgent telegrams asking key advisors to
rush to Washington
- A small American flag with stars spelling out “free.” It
adorned a sandwich cart at Lincoln’s funeral
- A swan feather sent to Lincoln’s Tomb by Queen Victoria
- A handle from one of Lincoln’s caskets
The exhibition takes its name from the angry resolution
approved by a town – its name now unknown – condemning the
“fiendish assassination” of the president. That resolution is
one of the items the public will be able to see for the first
time ever.
Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865, and Lincoln made
what proved to be his final speech on April 11. He was shot on
April 14 and died early the next day. The Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum is marking the 150th anniversary
of all these events with an array of exhibitions and special
events throughout April.
“A Fiendish Assassination” opens April 2 and runs until early
July. It complements the museum’s ongoing “Undying Words”
exhibition, which examines Lincoln’s greatest speeches but also
includes more than a dozen other items related to his murder,
including his deathbed and artifacts linked to assassin John
Wilkes Booth.
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Until recently, historians thought the medallions were lost in an
1887 fire that destroyed the hearse that carried Lincoln’s body to
Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery. But it turns out the hearse’s
owner had removed the medallions and passed them along to other
people.
 One
found its way to the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University
of Missouri - St. Louis. Ian Hunt, a historian at the Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, tracked it down.
That led James Cornelius, curator of the presidential library’s
Lincoln Collection, to scour records for anything about a second
medallion. He found a mention of it being offered years ago to a
private collector. Cornelius located the seller, who led him to the
private Harlan Crow Library in Dallas, Texas. Both institutions
agreed to lend their medallions to the presidential library.
“This is a wonderful example of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum’s mission: to do serious research on Lincoln and
then share those findings with the public,” said Executive Director
Eileen Mackevich. “These medallions, and the entire exhibition, will
help our visitors connect with the nation’s greatest president.”
For details on activities and events as the Lincoln Presidential
Library marks its 10th anniversary, visit
www.TenYearsLincoln.com.
[Chris Wills, Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency] |
