Inauguration Day 2009
January 20th, 2009Filed under: Collections, History
Happy Inauguration Day, America! Today we observe the peaceful transfer of power from one set of hands to another, and that — no matter what your political affiliation may be — is certainly a reason to celebrate.
In addition to collecting artifacts that tell Chicago’s story, the Chicago History Museum has a collection of objects that mark the wider history of the United States. And, indeed, we have a surprising array of presidential memorabilia. Here are two of my favorites:
This natty velvet suit was worn by none other than the second president of the United States, John Adams, on his inauguration day in 1797. He wasn’t especially known as a fashion plate, but I think on that day he had on a winning ensemble. Check out those silver buttons.
Here’s a familiar image: Abraham Lincoln’s top hat. This one has a funny story, though. Lincoln wore this hat on the train journey from his home in Springfield, Illinois, to his inauguration in Washintgon, D.C. Or at least, he wore it until he reached New York, when he met an enterprising hatter; that gentleman remarked upon the ‘lived-in’ nature of Lincoln’s chapeau, and offered to trade him the old for a new one. Not a bad bargain for either party, I think.
Tags: 2009, Abraham Lincoln, Collections, Inauguration, John Adams, Meghan Smith
March 29th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Does this hat (or any other Lincoln hats in your collection) have any markings that indicate where it was purchased? I ask because my paternal great-great-grandfather, Fred Dienes, sold hats, caps, gloves and furs on Sixth Street in Springfield (near the Post Office, opposite Bradford’s book store), and family legend says he sold a hat to Abraham Lincoln. My parents have a photograph of the store.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
What a cool bit of family history! This one was made by George Hall of Springfield. Given how often he wore this particular style of hat, I’d imagine he went through a few of them.