In 1993, the Huntington Library began working on a big exhibition featuring Abraham Lincoln. My husband was the library’s American history manuscript curator. His task was to make it spectacular. For the first time in the library’s history, its main exhibition hall would be cleared for this historic event.
The Last Best Hope of Earth catalog
What treasures would be featured! Louise Taper, a friend of ours, decided years before that she would start a collection of Abraham Lincoln manuscripts and artifacts. She contributed Lincoln’s top hat, blood stained handkerchief from the assassination, White House china in use during his presidency, and locks of hair that belonged to Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln's deceased son Willie – not exactly a stamp collection. Our running joke at the time was that she was probably the only resident in Beverly Hills who owned a second house in Springfield Illinois, Lincoln’s birthplace. Louise also sought items that belonged to John Wilkes Booth and his brother, Junius Brutus, both acclaimed actors of their time. Her house was a museum filled with costumes they wore, as well as their own personal effects. It was astonishing.
The Huntington Library asked my husband to fully organize this exhibition. This job required many trips to Springfield to meet with the state historical library in order to arrange secure transportation of objects and papers from their priceless collections. One item, however, could not be shipped. It was far too valuable. I am speaking of the original Gettysburg address. Incredibly, I had the honor of carrying it in my lap from Illinois to Los Angeles. It had to be carried in person.
The Gettysburg Address used in the exhibition - Illinois State Historical Library
How exhilarating to be responsible for this piece of history! The flight attendant wanted me to put it in the overhead compartment. I explained that was not a possibility. She abided my request to leave it in my lap, though she did not know what was in the carefully bound parcel. I felt its energy permeate my whole body. I know that sounds weird, but I have no other way to describe the feeling. Any onlooker would have thought I was protecting my first born child.
How many people can say they travelled with the Gettysburg Address on their person? It was one of the most exciting things I have ever done.
When we landed, armed guards were waiting to take the document from me and deliver it into the Library’s hands for safekeeping.
Here are some of the highlights form the exhibit. It was a huge success.
Lincoln's top hat - one of Louise Taper's triumphs. Can you imagine owning this?
China from the White House during the Lincolns' presidency, photograph of son Willie Lincoln, who died in the White House in 1862, with a lock of his hair, Taper collection
Personal effects of Mary Todd Lincoln, including a chamber pot - Taper and Illinois State Historical Library collections
Abraham Lincoln signed photo, Taper collection
I don't think our nation has fully recovered from that fateful night of April 15, 1865 when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theater.
"Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history....The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation....In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free-honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth."
Abraham Lincoln, December 1, 1862
Portrait of Abraham Lincoln © Johanna Westerman 1994