Rare Lincoln bible obtained by ALPLM
Thursday, Jun 20, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finally, a bit of good news for the ALPLM. From the New York Times…
In 1864, Abraham Lincoln made a rare wartime trip out of Washington to visit a charity event in Philadelphia raising money to care for wounded soldiers. He donated 48 copies of the Emancipation Proclamation to be sold for fund-raising.
But it turns out he received a gift in return: a Bible whose pages were edged with gilt and decorated with the words “Faith,” “Hope” and “Charity” after I Corinthians 13:13 — a holy book at a time when Lincoln was turning increasingly to Scripture to understand personal tragedy and national trauma.
Now, more than 150 years later, historians have discovered the Bible for the first time, a unique artifact of the 16th president’s life that they did not even know existed. Given by his widow to a friend of Lincoln’s after his assassination, it has remained out of sight for a century and a half, passed along from one generation to another, unknown to the vast array of scholars who have studied his life.
As of Thursday, it will go on display for the first time at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill., a bequest from the family of the Rev. Noyes W. Miner, who lived across the street from the Lincolns in the Illinois capital and spoke at the slain president’s funeral. After preserving the Bible over the decades, Miner’s descendants recently came forward to disclose its existence and donate it to the public.
Go read the whole thing. Fascinating.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 10:00 am:
Cool. Although I have to admit my first thought was the museum would be wise to authenticate this first. But then I read that the family was donating it, so while provenance is still an issue, this is an incredible gift to the museum and to all of us in Illinois.
Very cool.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 10:10 am:
===provenance is still an issue===
I don’t think it is this time.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 10:30 am:
I’m not suggesting this is a fake, but I think it’s SOP for historians to verify and document things like the previous owners, the chain of custody, etc., for important artifacts like this. The Times story mentions that a lot of this has been done, which is great. Given the whole sorry mess of the stove pipe hat…I’m just saying.
- City Guy - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 10:32 am:
I really appreciate the family making the donation. It is a great gift.
- Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 10:49 am:
I hope they donated it to the museum and not to the foundation.
- What's in a name? - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 10:56 am:
Can they use it as security on the loan?
- RNUG - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 11:49 am:
Article says experts looked it over prior to transfer. Given the embossing on the front cover and the hand written inscription inside, plus the genealogy, and the provenance appears airtight.
It was very generous of the family to donate it since it was also a family heirloom.
- Responsa - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 12:03 pm:
This is a wonderful gift and a well written story. Artifacts bring history to life.
- ILPundit - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 1:08 pm:
Regarding the provenance, read the story. They checked it out thoroughly and verified it in advance. There is a clear paper trail.
Kudos to Alan Lowe and the ALPLM for doing the verification work upfront, unlike the Foundation that paid a gazillion dollars to a member of their own foundation board to buy a fake hat.
- oh well... - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 1:22 pm:
Probably bought it for $5 million.
- northerwatersports - Thursday, Jun 20, 19 @ 2:41 pm:
Two words come to mind…
Classy.
Generous.
I’ve got a Franklin that says scholars will easily bless this awesome contribution’s provenance and link to Lincoln, and to Illinois.
A 10 !!!!!!