On the Road With Lincoln

Yesterday's MAD was the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. No, I didn't travel to Springfield, Illinois. The Library came to the District.

Met my son for lunch and figured this being DC I'd spot at least several museums between home and him. Right across from his office was a nondescript trailer with an "Open" sign and a banner proclaiming A. Lincoln Self-Made in America . I had just seen Lincoln's handwritten victory speech on Friday so this was a perfect invitation. Especially since I don't have any plans for Springfield soon.

The trailer housed a small yet perfect exhibit about Lincoln's life. There were artifacts - always appealing to me - real and replica - of books he read, invitations, Mary Lincoln's music box and maps (the best!). My favorite part was the animated map (turns out to be a DVD) showing the Civil War In Four Minutes or "one week in one second". The borders of the Confederacy expand and contract, the sites of battles explode in puffs and a running casualty tally appears at the lower right hand corner. As they say "One picture....."


Found out that there were many funerals for Lincoln as the train carrying his body made its way from DC to Springfield. One was held in Buffalo on April 27, 1865 and I'd like to find out more about it.

This exhibit is travelling around the country for two (2) years and is a vivid introduction to Lincoln and his times. It made me particularly aware of how much more I would like to know about American History in general and Lincoln in particular. Team of Rivals and April 1865 are now on my to-read list.

2009 is the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth and there will be many events and exhibits devoted to him and his role in shaping the US. Get ready.

Truth to Power

Imagine that you get to see the manuscript of Abraham Lincoln's 1864 Victory Speech which just happens to be on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art for one day. The words that Lincoln wrote with his own hands echo (or maybe pre-echo - is this a word?) the words that our new President spoke a few days earlier when he took his oath of office and hopefully ushered in a new era of US government for ALL of us.

Then - imagine that you visit Richard Avedon's Portraits of Power, a compilation of his stunning photos of the famous and the unknown which ends with a close up of none other than Barack Obama, Illinois State senator and keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention, taken in 2004.

Just imagine the connection between life and art that settles in your heart!

Other than the fact of the Avedon exhibit, and that I needed to get to it quickly since it was closing on Sunday January 25, all of this was unexpected.

I've been at my DC house since last Friday, having arrived in time to experience Inauguration Weekend, MLK day and the Inauguration itself. But until yesterday, no Internet had arrived. That lack was my excuse to delay the start of MAD. The cable guys showed up yesterday morning and I was on my way after lunch.

The exhibit displayed Avedon's straightforward portraits of political activists, politicians, government officials, and labor leaders, artists, using their selection and juxtaposition to explore their relationships and influence with the community.

Particularly affecting to me was the group portrait of the Chicago 7 and especially of the Civil Rights workers (shown above), which triggered memories of the active hopefulness of those times and our wearing down by the most recent 8 years. And looking at the faces of power from especially the earlier decades during which Avedon worked made me realize how male, white and middle-aged those faces were.

What an appropriate way to start museum going in DC in 2009!