One
state, 200 years, four presidents
For state bicentennial, Lincoln
Presidential Library will present major new exhibit on Illinois
presidents
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[February 20, 2018]
SPRINGFIELD
- The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will help
celebrate the state’s 200th birthday with a major new exhibit about
the four presidents who have called Illinois their home, ALPLM
Executive Director Alan Lowe announced Sunday.
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The exhibit, entitled “From Illinois to the White
House: Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, Obama,” will explore their
connections to the Prairie State, their political battles, the first
ladies who helped them succeed and much more.
Visitors will see amazing documents and artifacts, including Ronald
Reagan’s yearbook from his high school days in Dixon, the table
where Ulysses S. Grant’s accepted Robert E. Lee’s surrender during
the Civil War, an original draft of Barack Obama’s speech at the
50th anniversary of the Selma civil rights march, and the briefcase
Abraham Lincoln used as president.
“From Illinois to the White House” opens March 23 and runs through
the end of 2018.
“Illinois helped shape these leaders, and they in turn helped shape
Illinois and the entire country. As we celebrate the state’s
bicentennial, it seems appropriate to take a close look at their
lives and legacies,” Lowe said.
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“We’re bringing together artifacts from more than a dozen
institutions and private collectors for what will truly be a
once-in-a-lifetime exhibit,” Lowe added.
Items in the exhibit come from, among others, the U. S. Grant State
Historic Site, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Barack Obama
Presidential Library, National Portrait Gallery, Chicago History
Museum and Wayne Whalen, chair emeritus of the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library Foundation. The John Ullrich Foundation of
Decatur has provided generous support.
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The exhibit will be housed in the ALPLM’s Illinois Gallery, a
space dedicated to rotating exhibits on state history. There will be no extra
fee to see “From Illinois to the White House: Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, Obama.” It
is provided as part of regular admission to the Lincoln museum (212 N. 6th
Street, Springfield).
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.
Meanwhile, the museum uses traditional exhibits, eye-catching special effects
and innovative story-telling techniques to educate visitors.
Learn more at
www.PresidentLincoln @illinois.gov
[Christopher Wills
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum]
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