Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Lincoln Birthday Bicentennial

Tomorrow, February 12, is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, from 1861 through his untimely assassination in April 1865. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has put together a website that collects information on events across the country honoring this occasion, as well as an “Honest Abe Quiz,” data on Lincoln, and even teacher resources.

The Library of Congress in Washington, DC, opens a new exhibit on the 12th called With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition. It will include on-site exhibits with online features, with some Lincoln-related artifacts available digitally, at on-site kiosks as well as on the Library’s website.

There’s even a blog about Lincoln and food! Author Rae Katherine Eighmey spent three years researching Lincoln’s eating habits and food interests for an upcoming book. Her blog, What Lincoln Enjoyed Eating, will run for 10 weeks, from Lincoln’s 200th birthday to the anniversary of his assassination, featuring authentic recipes with historical background, adapted for modern kitchens.

The photo above is of Lincoln during his presidential campaign in August 1860, thought to be the last photograph of him without a beard. It is from the Library of Congress Flickr collection -- their complete set of Lincoln photos is here.

2 comments:

Cathy W. said...

Great list of resources. Thanks! Also, Channel 13 (KERA) aired an interesting program, Looking for Lincoln, last night (Feb. 11).

Brief Description:
"This two-hour documentary explores the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln and how his legend grew out of controversy, clashing political perspectives and considerable disagreement over how he should be remembered. Hosted and written by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr."

The KERA site for Looking for Lincoln offers links to many more resources.

Glenda said...

We also have a display in the foyer honoring Lincoln, as well as Washington.