Today, February 12th, is the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth! Lincoln-related sites are all a-flutter over the bicentennial, and the Chicago History Museum is no exception. See what the Museum has in store for the year long Lincoln celebration.

So much of what we hear about President Lincoln is serious: the struggle over slavery, the bloodbath of the Civil War, the tragedy of his death. But today is Abe’s birthday, so why don’t we look at the lighter, everyday side of Lincoln? It’s easy to forget about the ordinary man when the myth looms so large.

Abraham Lincoln’s Ice Skate

It’s no secret that Abe was a tall guy. A very tall guy. And, like a lot of tall people, he had big feet. This ice skate was given to Lincoln as a kind of gag gift, and hung on the wall of his Springfield law office. It’s twenty-two inches long, too big for even Abe to wear. It’s nice to see something that must have made the president smile.

Abraham Lincoln’s Galoshes

Speaking of feet: could you ever imagine a legendary figure like Abraham Lincoln wearing galoshes? Then you stop to think about it and say to yourself, Of course Abe wore galoshes. Didn’t it rain in Springfield and Washington? This particular pair is made of very early rubber, which degrades easily. That’s why they look a little deflated. But back in the day I’m sure they did a very admirable job of keeping Lincoln’s toes toasty and dry.

Abraham Lincoln’s Comb and Brush Set

Abe Lincoln is also famous for having some pretty awful hair. In most photographs it looks as though it’s a barely-contained force of nature. But despite giving the impression that his grooming technique was to toss and turn all night with wet hair, he did actually make a valiant attempt to tame the mane. See, here’s proof — Lincoln’s comb and brush set! Notice how the comb is missing a few teeth. Were those broken off in the battle for a good coif? We’ll never know.

Come celebrate Honest Abe with us at the Chicago History Museum; admission will only cost you a (Lincoln!) penny between now and Monday the 16th!

> Learn more about the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebration

Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Collections, Exhibitions, Lincoln Treasures, Meghan Smith

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 8:43 am and is filed under Collections, Exhibitions, History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.