Lincoln Treasures: Turkish Inkstand
June 18th, 2009Filed under: Exhibitions
One of my favorite objects in the exhibition Lincoln Treasures is the inkstand on display in a case near the White House piano.
I like the inkstand for a couple of reasons. First, I have my own interest in the part of the world where it originated. Second and more importantly, I believe the inkstand symbolizes how the Civil War spread beyond the country’s borders. We believe Lincoln received it from “His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman [Turkish] empire” after the two countries signed a trade treaty in 1862. This agreement not only reaffirmed a pre-existing treaty, but also established that the Ottomans would catch and hold Confederate pirates in Ottoman waters.
While preparing the exhibition, I also learned some of the basics of 1800s ink stands. Lincoln would have used it by dipping his pen tip into an ink well held by the stand. Then, he would have used the pen to write. It was a relatively messy process compared to writing with most modern pens.
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Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Inkstand, Lincoln Treasures, Ottoman, Peter Alter, Turkish
