Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Exhibit appearing at the Ottawa Scouting Museum February 5 - April 11, 2011

Tue, 1 Feb 2011 06:55:41 -0600

Abraham Lincoln is coming to the Ottawa Scouting Museum at 1100 Canal Street in Ottawa, Illinois.

A world-class traveling exhibit featuring reproduction artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois will be on display at the museum from February 5 - April 11, 2011.

Titled “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America,” the exhibit was created by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of America’s greatest president. Illinois State Historian Thomas Schwartz states that the exhibit covers Lincoln’s childhood, his self-education, his careers as a surveyor and lawyer, his family life, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, the 1860 Presidential election, the Civil War, the 13th Amendment, the Emancipation Proclamation, his assassination, and other important periods and events in his life. The reproduction artifacts on display, all modeled from originals in the Presidential Library and Museum, include: Lincoln’s favorite books; his son Tad’s toy cannon; the nameplate from his Springfield home; his stovepipe hat, which he used like a briefcase to hold important papers; a Presidential campaign banner; an axe that Lincoln used to chop wood; the bloody gloves found in Lincoln’s pocket the night of his assassination; and many other unique and interesting items.

Select artifacts in the exhibit are reproduced from the originals in the exclusive Louise and Barry Taper Collection – now part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s holdings. Keeping these original artifacts as part of the collection of the Presidential Library and Museum has inspired a national fundraising effort entitled the Permanent Home Campaign, launched to make these historic treasures, and 1,500 other items all valued at more than $25 million, permanently available at the Presidential Library and Museum for the whole world to study and enjoy. Throughout the exhibit, look for the stovepipe hat icon which designates the reproduction artifacts that are part of the Permanent Home Campaign. To learn more about the campaign visit http://www.presidentlincoln.org/foundation/annual_fund.html.

“Abraham Lincoln, the son of a subsistence farmer, came of age during a dramatic transformation in America’s economic life. Like many of his contemporaries, he embraced a new emphasis on personal initiative, risk-taking, and ambition. He was only 22 when he left his family home to find his own way,” said Schwartz. “After enduring a series of personal failures in business, he became a prosperous attorney, devoted husband and father, successful politician, and, finally, the 16th President of the United States. While Lincoln benefited from close association with a number of powerful friends, his own talents and ambitions combined with hard work and a dedication to self-improvement to produce a unique American specimen - the self-made man.”

For more information about the “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” exhibit, visit www.PresidentLincoln.org.

The traveling learning station exhibit is being offered to museums, public libraries, and historical societies over the next two years. The exhibit will travel the nation through December 2012. Mollie Perrot, Executive Director of the Ottawa Scouting Museum, stated this she believes this is the first traveling exhibit released by the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library. She added, “The Ottawa Scouting Museum is the first stop on this historic tour. We feel that is appropriate, considering Ottawa was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858. Perrot also stated that she hopes that every school class in the area will visit this exhibit and learn more about Abraham Lincoln. Regular hours at the museum are Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Perrot is in hopes she can get more volunteers to be open more days for the duration of this exhibit. “The year 2011 begins a commemorative year for the Civil War. We feel this exhibit will contribute to that commemoration,” Perrot concluded.

The venue at OSM is being made possible by a very much appreciated, generous contribution by Fairmount Minerals.

Teachers/Educators, please click here for more lesson plans and other teaching resources:

http://www.alplm.org/education/lincoln_legacy.html

Questions and/or comments may be directed to Mollie Perrot at 815/326-2864 or via e-mail to scouter07@hotmail.com (Please mention Lincoln in the subject line.)

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Exhibit appearing at the Ottawa Scouting Museum February 5 - April 11, 2011

Scout Homecoming is a Rousing Success!