National Archives Celebrates Lincoln's Bicentennial in January
Press Release · Monday, November 24, 2008
Press Release
November 24, 2008
The National Archives Celebrates Lincoln’s Bicentennial in January
Special program and film mark 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth
More Information
- William G. McGowan Theater
- Directions and Hours
- Visitor's Map
- Emancipation Proclamation
- Public Vaults Exhibit
- Calendar of Events
- Request an Accommodation
(e.g., sign language interpreter)
Washington, DC…The National Archives will celebrate the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth in January 2009 with a special lecture and film. These events are free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, which is located on the National Mall at Constitution Ave. and 7th Street, NW, and is fully accessible.
Coming soon - The Emancipation Proclamation!
**February 12-16, 2009 - Featured Document Display: The Emancipation Proclamation**
Thursday, February 12 through Monday, February 16, 2009
National Archives East Rotunda Gallery
In celebration of Lincoln's birthday and the Presidents' Day holiday, the National
Archives will display the original Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln. The special display of the Emancipation Proclamation is
free and open to the public.
Saturday, January 17, at noon
Film: Abraham Lincoln
Noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Director D. W. Griffith presents a biography of Abraham Lincoln through vignettes
about his life, including his birth, early jobs, courtship of Mary Todd, the
Lincoln-Douglas debates, his Presidency, and the Civil War. Walter Huston stars
as Lincoln. (96 minutes, 1930)
Thursday, January 22, at noon
Lecture: Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
Noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln are the two preeminent self-made men
in American history. Lincoln was born poor, had less than one year of
formal school, and became one of the nation’s greatest Presidents. Douglass
spent the first 20 years of his life as a slave, had no formal schooling, and
became the most famous black man in the Western world and one of the nation’s
greatest writers. John Stauffer, author of Giants: The Parallel
Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, discusses how
Douglass and Lincoln reinvented themselves and transformed America.
Related Exhibition
Public Vaults permanent exhibition
The Public Vaults exhibition of the National Archives Experience features a
Lincoln telegram, an image of Lincoln and his general after Antietam, a facsimile
of all five pages of the Emancipation Proclamation, a letter congratulating
Lincoln on his re-election, and an interactive exhibit about the Lincoln assassination
and the Booth conspiracy.
To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call the Public Programs Line at: (202) 357-5000, or view the Calendar of Events online. To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program please e-mail public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 two weeks prior to the event. To contact the National Archives, please call 1-866-272-6272 or 1-86-NARA-NARA (TDD) 301-837-0482.
# # #
For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (202) 357-5300.
09-19
This page was last reviewed on January 30, 2013.
Contact us with questions or comments.