About the Blog
A cartoon shows Abraham Lincoln looking askance at a book with the caption: “My God, another book.” The reference assumes the reader knows that there are quite a few Lincoln books, roughly 17,000 titles to date. The same exasperation might be expressed as: “My God, another Lincoln blog.” There are quite a number of blogs, active and inactive, regarding Lincoln and the Civil War. Why is another needed? The simple answer is that whereas most blogs are the creation and expressions of individual opinion, this blog is institutionally based and serves a broad purpose. By tapping into the collections of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the blog hopes to tease out meanings about Lincoln, his times, and his legacy.
The bloggers for this site are Dr. James M. Cornelius, Lincoln Curator, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; Professor Richard Wightman Fox, Department of History, University of Southern California; and Dr. Thomas F. Schwartz, Illinois State Historian, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Some of the entries will be serious and others whimsical, but it is hoped that all will offer something of interest.
About the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Our mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and promote the study of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is the home of the Illinois State Historical Library and its world-renown Lincoln Collection. The Library is a public, non-circulating research facility that contains material on all aspects of Illinois history. Particularly noteworthy are the Library’s holdings in published resources, manuscripts, newspapers, audiovisual, and Lincolniana, including the Henry Horner collection, the most complete holding of Abraham Lincoln’s pre-presidential materials found anywhere, and the recently-acquired Louise and Barry Taper Collection, with over 1500 additional pieces, well-known as the most expansive and significant privately-held collection of Lincolniana in the world.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, with a stunning combination of scholarship and showmanship, immerses you in Lincoln’s world and time. Wander through our two galleries that showcase many of the treasures found in our Library’s collections and give guests a glimpse into life long ago. Take in the awe-inspiring shows Lincoln’s Eyes and Ghosts of the Library at our special effects theaters that place you in the center of dramatic moments in history. And journey from a rustic log cabin to the Executive Mansion in the nation’s capital; follow the fate of America’s 16th president and share the joys and sorrows of a family – and a nation.