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 The centerpiece of the line-up for the two anniversaries is
“Undying Words: Lincoln 1858-1865,” an exhibition that opened last
month at the presidential museum and will run through February
2016.
But that once-in-a-lifetime presentation is just the starting point.
The anniversary plans also include:
- new digital features that will give visitors immediate
access to documents and photos as they tour the library and
museum, bringing new depth to the experience
- a series of discussions with the artists and officials who
conceived of the ALPLM and made it a reality
- a presentation of artifacts related to Lincoln’s
assassination and funeral – including one that apparently hasn’t
been seen publicly since the 1865
- “The Battle Hymn Story,” a new show full of music and visual
effects, will join our popular “Lincoln’s Eyes” and “Ghosts of
the Library” productions
- “To See Jerusalem Before I Die,” a new exhibition in the
Treasures Gallery on Lincoln’s relationships with Jewish
friends, supporters and opponents
- frequent family-friendly activities, from parties on the
birthdays of Lincoln’s sons to a concert of Civil War music to a
“Pets in the White House” event that welcomes your pets to Union
Square Park.
“Abraham Lincoln was an amazing man, and the presidential
library dedicated to him is an amazing place. With 2015 bringing
important anniversaries for both of them, we wanted to mark the
occasion with an unforgettable series of events,” said Amy
Martin, director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency,
which operates the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum.
The ALPLM’s executive director, Eileen Mackevich, added:
“Drawing on the presidential library’s resources, we will offer
something for every history enthusiast. We’ll examine education,
music, fine arts and mourning customs in a panorama of our state
on the 10th anniversary of the museum.”
HISTORY EVENTS
“Undying Words” will continue all year, using original documents
and rare artifacts to explore Lincoln’s great speeches and his
changing views on slavery. On the anniversaries of key speeches,
visitors, staff and volunteers will read his words in the museum
plaza, and historians will take questions.
To mark the anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination and funeral,
the Treasures Gallery will be filled with artifacts relating to
that tragic time. The display will include something that hasn’t
been seen since the 1865 funeral: a recently re-discovered
silver medallion from the hearse that carried Lincoln’s body to
the cemetery.
 In August, the Treasures Gallery will be
the location of “To See Jerusalem Before I Die.” The exhibit
will highlight the many ways in which Lincoln related to the
nation’s Jewish community in 19th century America.
On Nov. 19 – the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address –
we’ll present “Love, Loss and Grief: Mourning in the 1800s.”
This will look at Mary Lincoln’s many painful losses and how
she, and the rest of the country, were expected to mourn.
GENERAL EVENTS
The people who helped create the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Museum will return for a series of discussions about the
planning and imagination that went into the project. You’ll hear
from the people who designed the museum, wrote the music and
created the exhibits.
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 The museum will add a new feature around the time of
Lincoln’s birthday: a digital tour that will give visitors
access to more details, documents and pictures related to the
exhibits they’re seeing. Want to know more about
African-American troops or Lincoln’s time as a lawyer? Just push
a button on your smart phone.
On June 11, we’ll hold a strawberry social with delicious
food and fascinating facts about Mary Lincoln. And July 16
brings “It’s a Sweet Affair,” a chance to enjoy dessert and hear
the love stories of Abraham and Mary and of their friends and
relatives. Later in the year, there will be a tea party about
the 1893 World’s Fair and a Civil War ball.
FAMILY EVENTS
The slate of events designed for families will let people of all
ages learn about history in fun new ways.
In honor of the museum’s 10th anniversary, the 10th of every
month will be family day, with special activities and treats.
And on the birthdays of Lincoln’s four sons, the museum will hold
birthday parties where children learn about past birthday customs
and get to talk to a historian about the Lincoln family.
On March 29, the ALPLM will hold an Easter egg roll in Union
Square Park.
On May 16, the author of the “Fancy Nancy” series of books
will visit for a soiree that includes games, a book-signing and a
costume contest, followed by a tea party.
Sept. 12 brings a “Pets in the White House” event. Families
can bring their pets to Union Square Park and learn all about
presidential pets through history.
ENTERTAINMENT
“The Battle Hymn Story,” will debut in the spring, using a
live actor and a stirring mix of music and visual effects. It
explains how a song that began at revival meetings was transformed
into the unofficial anthem of the Civil War.
From January through March, we’ll offer special tours that
focus on the museum’s many murals and their significance.
On April 16, we look at the way Lincoln has been portrayed on
screen over the past century. Historian Richard Wrightman Fox will
take the audience from short silent films to ambitious dramas to
tongue-in-cheek fare like “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
On May 10, we present “A Tribute to Mothers” concert with the
wonderful Ollie Watts Davis. And in July, we’ll present music under
the stars with a special “Summer on the Square” concert at Union
Square Park.
Full details about the anniversary events can be found at
www.TenYearsLincoln.com.
[Chris Wills, Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum]
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