Everybody Loves Abraham

Prior to November, the only known photo of President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg was one that was literally stumbled upon by a National Archives employee in the early 1950s. Now, Civil War hobbyist John Richter has discovered what might be two additional stereographs of Lincoln in a similar happenstance fashion. Pouring over recently digitized Library of Congress pictures of out sheer geeky, boyhood interest in the event, he noticed a procession that should have included Lincoln. Sure enough, upon receiving higher resolution images, he located what he believes to be our 16th President on horseback en route to the stage where he would deliver his timeless Address. Officially, the jury is still out. But after a bit of initial skepticism, I do believe we finally have two additional images of Lincoln on the defining day of his Presidency.



So yes, when I was first alerted to the images’ existence by Bessie Stone's Cricket Dilemma, I doubted that it was actually Honest Abe. Reasons ranged from the laborious nature of the still relatively rare technology in 1863 to the reservations a history major such as myself has with labeling any other tall man that happened to be wearing a stovepipe hat that day a Commander-in-Chief. But when I finally saw the authentic digitized images in their entirety, and not just versions cropped to only include the shadowy Lincoln figure, it became markedly clear that it was Abe. Technically, this is because although somewhat obstructed, it’s plain to see that the tall figure in question is participating in some sort of ceremonial convoy, which obviously makes it far more likely that it’s actually the President. But on a more subconscious level, the complete image captures a moment which Verlyn Klinckenborg of the New York Times adeptly describes as an ephemeral moment in their present... The procession, Lincoln, and the events of the day are relatively unimportant – Those in the foreground seem much more interested in the "newfangled contraption" that is the photographer’s instrument than the history unfolding behind them. Beyond that, this whole event is just a respite in that little civil disagreement that still needs to worked out. Lincoln is a polarizing figure even in the North, and the office no longer holds the same infallibility it did in its early years. Additionally, it's still a highly accessible position - Anybody can walk up to the front door of the unfenced White House and pester Lincoln for jobs or handouts. All of this definitely lends these images an air of unrivaled authenticity - Stuff like this cannot be fabricated.

So every history professor I've ever had - from Mr. Greenburg to the divine Miss Caroline Sherman - was absolutely right when pleading with us to always look at the big picture for proper context. It's only fitting that such a literal example is what it takes to hammer that idea home permanently.

But getting back to Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address is truly remarkable, and the fact that an ill Lincoln thought it bombed makes it even more special. Gore Vidal and other legitimate historians, after shooting down the popular myth that Lincoln penned the Address on the back of an envelope on the train ride up from D.C., recently validated a persistent legend in which Lincoln is said to have dejectedly plopped down after an audience stunned by the brevity of his remarks withheld applause, turned to a friend, and said the Address fell on them like a "wet blanket."

It could be the Address's conciseness that speaks to you – in just 10 sentences and 272 words Lincoln was able to capture the essence of what was then the bloodiest conflict in human history and certainly this nation’s darkest hour. It could be the inspired Biblical allusions. Or it could even be the brutally honest tone of the whole thing – Whereas many contemporary leaders go out of their way to paint an artificially rosy picture of any given situation, Lincoln acknowledges both the soul-crushing carnage of the conflict and the gravity of what is at stake – the very survival of the United States of America and its unique government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." He honors those who had lost their lives on the sprawling battlefields, and masterfully motivates the war-weary survivors in both the military and civilian ranks by calling on them to make those deaths and all the work our Founding Fathers had done "four score and seven years ago" true sacrifices; not in vain. It practically reads like a script from a Rocky movie... "It’s about how hard you can get hit; how much you can take and keep moving forward..."

Keeping with the cheesy movie theme... Although it's probably passe to lift a quote from a critically reviled Disney popcorn franchise, the Nick Cage character in the National Treasure sequel sums up the Gettysburg legacy perfectly - "Before Lincoln, it was 'The United States are...' Since Lincoln, it's always been 'The United States is.'" But you know what? Screw it. Unlike certain contributors to this blog, I don't always cast a scornful eye towards the heartland. There's a reason why the nation (and, just in case you've forgotten in this divisive age, that word encompasses all kinds of towns from Boise and Billings to liberal Xanadus like Boulder and Burlington) has made these two movies so immensely popular - Americans are still fiercely proud of their past and secretly hope contemporary leaders are capable of finding guidance and inspiration from the lives those great men and women that have gone before. I believe this is why these two blurry photographs have been the subject of so much fascinated discussion. And perhaps I shop at the Watergate so much because I find it oddly comforting to know that this actually happened at 4:00am on May 9, 1970.

Beyond "Dick Nixon," look no further than the March on Washington and MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech. Or the groundbreaking Marian Anderson concert that some claim sparked the Civil Rights movement in earnest. Or even Forrest and Jenny's fictional embrace in the Reflecting Pool. It's just one of those quintessentially American views. And it's all because everybody loves Abraham. Or, at the very least, the hope and equality his legend has come to embody.

On that note, D.C. being what it is, I think the first thing I'll do after making my way back down I-95 is take a little walk over to our nation’s perpetually stirring shrine to the man and read the Address under his watchful eye...That's the thing about this City - As great as the myriad, inspired cultural offerings can be, it's almost expected of a major metropolitan area, especially one with such an inescapable international presence and reach. Our uniqueness stems from being able to take advantage of the pleasant historical surprises that would otherwise be overlooked by locals caught up in the grind of work, school, poverty, or even that flourishing bar scene.

I guess it’s also pretty 'unique' to be jolted out of a deep sleep on a regular basis by Cheney’s motorcade gunning it down Virginia Ave. at 6:45am, but that’s a different issue altogether.