All Lincoln, All The Time
Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 7:27AM Ok, I admire President Lincoln as much as the next guy, and even more so if the next guy hails from south of the Rapahonnock. He's one of those rare historical figures where the mythology undersells what he accomplished. His Memorial is a fitting counterweight to the Capitol on our National Mall. And certainly, no President better supports the Great Man theory of history.
But isn't it all getting to be a little much? Yeah, yeah, I know it's the bicentennial of his birth. I know there is more than a casual overlap between Lincoln's life story and our new President's. I'm sure those of us in the DC area have noticed the phenomenon; maybe our friends from Illinois can back us up here. Is it possible that we give the man who was arguably our greatest President too much attention?
It all started innocuously enough. Ford's Theater closed down a few years ago for a long awaited restoration, to reopen on the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin's fascinating look at Lincoln's political machinations during his Presidency, came out around that time. Then, the National Trust for Historic Preservation restored the Lincoln Cottage at the Soldier's Home in NE DC. Ok, these seemed to be, and were, positive developments. The Cottage, in particular, is a welcome addition, very well done, and truly adds something to our awareness of President Lincoln.
But it all went off the rails at some point. For me, it was when I attended a meeting about the re-opening of Ford's Theater and saw that DC's greatest little museum was becoming our latest infotainment center; a 1865 version of the Spy Museum. I'll have more on that later, but for know it just kind of got me noticing what was going on around here. Every new museum exhibit, every new symposium, every new lecture was about Lincoln.
Some of these look cool. Certainly, the National Museum of American History is a natural venue for a retrospective of Lincoln's life. And the Library of Congress, continues it's track record of being, in my opinion, the best American History Museum in Washington with it's exhibit that includes the contents of Lincoln's pockets the night he was assassinated. And I was terribly moved to see the Gettysburg Address on display when the American History Museum re-opened. But Lincoln Stamp Collecting? Random Lincoln Art? And this one really takes the cake (for a look at some craziness near you check it out here). Nothing wrong with any of this individually, but in total it's a bit overwhelming. Even the Economist is noting the trend.
So, all in all, President Lincoln, I ask you not to leave us in peace, but in moderation. It's all just too much. Maybe you could nudge your wife to visit some curators, writers, and lecturers from beyond the grave and let them know that Lincoln has been done. On the off chance they find a new angle, it's going to be lost in the shuffle. And hey, we got some other history to look at here as well.
Reader Comments (5)
What did honest Abe ever do to you?
Glad to see you blogging. Gave you a little shout out on my blog- expect to see a huge spike in traffic as all four readers come here and abandon davidbrunton.com forever...
That would, in fact, quadruple my readership. Thanks for the shout out.
Tim, you are sure right about the LOC; the Lincoln exhibit is terrific. There is also a symposium on Lincoln on March 4th with a lot of well known scholars. The LOC is for adults. Too many of the museums are full of computer gadgets with buttons for the kids to push these days.
You might mention the tunnel to the Capitol Visitor's Center. On a hot or unpleasant day, you can hibernate in air conditioning/heat and go from one to the other. Might be a good way to do an end run around the anticipated lines of epic proportion at the main entrance to the CVC as well.
Shhhh, Lauren. If you give away all of our secrets, then everyone will try it. Let the masses wait in line while we use our super-secret tunnel entrance.
We were just in DC Feb 12-15 and I wish I'd had your blog then! Seeing as it was over Lincoln's birthday, by the end of the trip, I too found it a bit overwhelming with Lincoln stuff at EVERY museum.
Also, I was trying to do see/do some unique things, not just the typical tourist stuff, but was having a hard time. I'm keeping your blog suggestions for next time we visit.