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* Dave McKinney at WBEZ…
A 16-month state study finds no new evidence to authenticate a disputed, multi-million dollar stovepipe hat purportedly owned by Abraham Lincoln that has been displayed at his presidential museum in Springfield.
The report released Monday by Illinois State Historian Samuel Wheeler found the hat did not appear to be in Lincoln’s hat size. The study also found the hat was sold in the 1950s to a downstate antique shop for just $1, and its apocryphal Lincoln connection wasn’t even known to descendants of its original owners.
While Wheeler concluded more study on the hat is warranted, his findings pour an even heavier dose of skepticism on a hat purchased by a private foundation from West Coast collector Louise Taper for display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The hat was once appraised at $6.5 million.
“I believe the past can be instructive, if we take the time to examine it and resolve never to repeat the same mistakes,” Wheeler wrote in the 54-page report obtained exclusively by WBEZ.
In the report, Wheeler focused on a history of double-dealing, conflicts of interest and a neglect of basic due-diligence in studying the hat’s provenance before its purchase. He also slammed a “weaponization” of the hat during years of friction between the museum and the not-for-profit that acquired it on behalf of the museum, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.
The full report is here. Lots more there.
* Letter to the editor from Ray McCaskey and Nick Kalm, the chairman and vice chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation…
We read with disappointment the Jan. 1 editorial, “Another Illinois fiasco: The hat that wasn’t Lincoln’s.”
Unfortunately, as with the NPR segment the editorial board cited, it chose to cherry-pick certain conclusions about the state historian’s report and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation’s acquisition of the hat to bash a group of volunteers who are passionately committed to preserving Lincoln’s legacy.
Most important, the historian, whose report was commissioned by the state, not the foundation, as the editorial erroneously cited, very specifically said he had not concluded the hat wasn’t Lincoln’s, so the editorial’s headline and conclusions are inappropriate and misleading.
State Historian Samuel Wheeler did uncover some additional information supporting the provenance of the hat while criticizing others that had been previously cited by the state and the foundation. Lastly, he said more research was needed to further solidify the hat’s provenance, steps the foundation fully supports.
In addition, the editorial omits other salient facts Tribune readers deserve, including the fact that the foundation was faced with a difficult choice in 2007: Either incur substantial indebtedness, which has since been substantially paid down, to support the state’s request that we urgently acquire the hat and entire Taper collection (there was no a la carte option) or allow what was arguably the world’s largest collection of Lincolnania to be auctioned off and disappear from the public domain forever. Faced with the same choice, we believe most people would have done the same thing.
From the museum’s dot points…
Wheeler recommended additional research including:
• Having multiple experts on men’s headwear examine the hat to see if its material and construction are from Lincoln’s era.
• Carefully measuring the hat size to see if it matches other Lincoln hats.
• Searching additional archives that might shed light on William Waller’s work during the Civil War.
Wheeler measured the hat himself, so, yeah, it would be prudent to have an expert do that instead of an untrained historian. And there is this from Wheeler’s report…
From a historical standpoint, the stovepipe hat’s provenance hinges entirely on family lore. My research indicates the family lore is plausible, but I was not able to verify the claims in the time I had to conduct this research. There are, however, several repositories that may hold answers, including the National Archives, and should be consulted.
If you read his report, it looks like he was put on an overly strict deadline by Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz.
* And this is from Wheeler’s conclusion…
In response to the provenance issues that were raised in 2012, ALPLM did not respond like a responsible museum. Instead of conducting an honest inquiry and perhaps seizing on the opportunity to educate the public about provenance-related issues, ALPLM assumed an overly defensive position. The 2013 document, “Lincoln Stovepipe Hat: The Facts,” contains untruths and appears to have been issued solely to combat critics.
Exactly right. So, the museum folks need to tone down their whining. The ALPLM brought this on itself with lies.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:04 pm
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Sorry Foundation members, but in the world of multi-million dollar historical artifacts your position that “it still might be authentic!” is not tenable. The burden was on the seller to prove authenticity when that value was built into the purchase price, and you didn’t hold them to it. That’s on you, and you overpaid. Rather than continuing to cling to straws, how about taking action to get the money back? You’ve probably already blown any chance at a lawsuit. Time to cut your losses instead of demanding endless studies.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:13 pm
On the plus side; they confirmed it was worth at least a dollar in the 1950s.
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:21 pm
Interesting report.
From watching the TV show “Forensic Files” for years, it seems to me there may be a way to extract a DNA sample from the hatband, where perspiration and skin oils accumulated. Whether a sample of Lincoln’s DNA or a family member’s exists from some other object, I don’t know.
Scientists can do some amazing things with DNA now that they couldn’t even ten years ago.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:22 pm
The deal smelled from Day 1 … and it wasn’t just the hat; it was the whole insider self dealing aspect. You couldn’t even pretend it was an arm’s length deal.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:23 pm
The intro is full of intrigue.
It seems the Pritzker folks were trying very hard to make the foundation look really bad, or atleast more interested in cultivating their relationship with Dave McKinney than getting to the truth.
Comment by Thomas Paine Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:26 pm
The problem with the foundation is that it was/is a playground for the politically connected. They operated without restrictions or oversite from the outside. There were no rules. Like spoiled children, they rebelled when there was any attend to correct them. No guide lines were followed with the purchase of these artifacts. They seem to act like it was paid for out of petty cash. This is not the way a responsible museum is run. It’s their mess, they can clean it up if possible.
Comment by Ginhouse Tommy Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:28 pm
They should FedEx the hat to Glenn Beck so he can take it to an expert to determine provenance.
Comment by SAP Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 2:51 pm
The self-dealing is what bothers me the most. A Board member (Taper) pressured the Board to approve the deal quickly under the threat of selling the whole collection to an unspecified person while, at the same time, professing to want the entire collection to go to the museum.
Board members have fiduciary responsibilities that go beyond recusing themselves from votes. Taper could have allowed the Board to bring in an independent appraiser and given them the time for an accurate assessment of the collection’s value. She did the opposite.
While the focus is on the hat, you have to wonder about the value and provenance of the entire collection.
Taper could, if she wishes to act in good faith, offer to refund to the Foundation any amount that an independent appraisal finds to be in excess.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 3:18 pm
==Whether a sample of Lincoln’s DNA or a family member’s exists from some other object, I don’t know.==
I thought Lincoln’s only heir died childless.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 3:51 pm
=On the plus side; they confirmed it was worth at least a dollar in the 1950s.=
With inflation that would be $20 in real dollars though./s
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 3:54 pm
We think the actual whining is coming from the Foundation folks who should be confused with the museum. It would be fun to see what documentation exists support a “state request” to buy the Taper Collection, and a few more facts about the loan that could be renegotiated that was renegotiated.
Both are interesting elements of this debacle.
Comment by Annonin Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 3:58 pm
Don’t forget Wheeler’s predecessor screaming down an IHPA trustee at a board meeting when the suggestion was made to do a DNA test to see if any hairs or such left on it might belong to the 16th President.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 4:04 pm
Lincoln’s last living relatives died in a he late 40s or early 50s. Were shirt tail relatives. Not direct descendants. However I think they have blood from pillow he died on and from Laura Keanes dress actress at Ford. Ate one time they wanted to test dna to see if he had Marphrons syndrome but woul not let it be done
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Jan 6, 20 @ 4:29 pm