More
treasures get their turn in the spotlight
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum presents ‘Rare and Rarely
Seen’ items from its vast collection
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[September 25, 2016]
SPRINGFIELD
– A new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum will celebrate the depth of the library’s collection by
highlighting items that rarely get a turn in the spotlight, from a
document signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to a pair
of shoes from a Nazi concentration camp.
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“Rare and Rarely Seen” opens to the public Sept. 28
and will run until Jan. 29, 2017. Members of the presidential
library’s foundation get a preview of the exhibit on Sept. 27.
“What makes this exhibit so special is that it shows the depth of
our collection through documents and artifacts that, in most cases,
have never been on display before,” said Alan Lowe, executive
director of the presidential library and museum. “We’re excited to
share these rare items with our visitors.”
Among the items on display in “Rare and Rarely Seen” are:
· Wooden shoes worn by a prisoner at the Dachau concentration camp
· A commission naming a federal marshal, signed by President George
Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/23/images/ads/current/Apex_sda_daily_2016.png) · A Howitzer shell representing Illinois that was fired during
President Kennedy’s funeral
· A dress worn by Marilyn Monroe
· A letter from Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant expressing concern
that he might be indicted for treason. It includes Grant’s
handwritten recommendation that Lee not be prosecuted.
“The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum commemorates
Lincoln, of course, but it is also the home of the Illinois State
Historical Library. Millions of fascinating documents and artifacts
that cover the gamut of Illinois history have made their way into
the collection over the past 125 years, and we are so excited to
share a few of them with the world in this exhibit,” said Dr. Samuel
Wheeler, the state historian.
The exhibit also includes two interactive features. One was inspired
by the section on politics and will let visitors vote on their
favorite item in the exhibit. Another asks visitors to write about
rare, precious items from their own lives; their answers will be
posted for everyone to see.
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“Rare and Rarely Seen” will be presented in the museum’s Illinois
Gallery. The exhibit is free with regular admission to the museum.
The exhibit will be accompanied by a series of special events over the next four
months.
Kid-friendly events are planned for Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. The historians and
curators who produced the exhibit will offer a behind-the-scenes look at it on
Nov. 17.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency, is dedicated to telling the story of America’s
16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology.
It includes some 12 million items collected by the Illinois State Historical
Library, which was founded in 1889 and eventually became part of the
presidential library.
The museum is open seven days a week. The library portion of the ALPLM is open
free of charge Monday through Friday for research. For details, visit
www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.
[Christopher Wills]
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