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Abraham Lincoln Artifacts Showcased at USC Law in Celebration of 16th President’s Bicentennial Birthday
USC Law’s Lincoln Reading Room serves as a historical setting for memories of the president
This month’s bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12 is giving University of Southern California Gould School of Law the chance to highlight its unique collection of Lincoln artifacts and even serve as a backdrop for stories highlighting the birthday celebration.
Housed in the USC Law Library, the Lincoln Reading Room features books dating back to the 1860s, including rare volumes, first editions, an engraving of the Lincoln family, and a micrograph of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The replica Victorian fireplace and furniture duplicate the Lincoln’s living room in their home in Springfield, Ill.
The book collection contains 151 titles and 192 volumes. Among the standouts are Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of his Time (1886), collected and edited by Allen Thorndike Rice, which contains essays about Lincoln by individuals who knew him; The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The First Complete, Unexpurgated Text (1993), edited by Harold Holzer, which contains transcripts of the debates from a variety of sources, including some that were long-ignored; and a first edition of Myths After Lincoln (1929), by Lloyd Lewis.
With the aim of celebrating the life and legacy of Lincoln, the United States Congress established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC). The Commission has planned numerous projects and cultural events including a dedication day ceremony in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a Lincoln birthday celebration in Washington, D.C., and the rededication of the Lincoln Memorial.
“We felt Lincoln’s 200th birthday would be an appropriate time to highlight both the work of the ALBC and the Law Library’s Lincoln Room,” said Law Library Associate Director Leonette M. Williams. “Our collection duplicates very little held elsewhere on campus.”
The USC Law Library put together a display, created by Head of Cataloging Wendy Nobunaga, located in the east lobby of the law school.
“The first display case contains examples from the government’s celebration and includes the new series of Lincoln pennies and Lincoln stamps as well as a timeline of Lincoln’s personal and legal life,” said Law Library Assistant Director Brian Raphael. “The second case features the library’s Lincoln Room collection, including a rare work on the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.”
When the IATLF decided to donate the room and collection, association member James Ackerman ’48 suggested it go to his alma mater, USC Law, where it has proudly been displayed since 1998.
Media Note: The Lincoln Reading Room at USC Law will host reporters needing a backdrop of their stories about Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday celebration.
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