NARA Continues Year-Long Celebration of Lincoln's Bicentennial
Press Release · Thursday, April 16, 2009

Press Release
April 16, 2009

National Archives Continues Year-Long Celebration of Lincoln’s Bicentennial in May

Special programs and films celebrate important anniversary

Washington, DC…The National Archives continues its celebration of the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth in May with special programs, book talks, and films.  These events are free and open to the public, and will be held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, which is fully accessible.  Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on the corner of 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW.  Spring/Summer Exhibit Hours are 10 am-7 pm, through Labor Day.

Film Screening - Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Saturday, May 16, at noon , William G. McGowan Theater
Adapted from Robert E. Sherwood’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play, the movie Abe Lincoln in Illinois covers the first chapter in Abraham Lincoln’s life, starting with his early years as a Kentucky woodsman and ending with his election to the Presidency in 1860. One of the most loved and revered Presidents, Lincoln (Raymond Massey) is portrayed with a dark side that includes doubts, fears, and indecision during his early career. (1940; 110 minutes)  This program is presented by The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives.

Book Talk - 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History
Tuesday, May 19, at noon, Jefferson Room
Charles Bracelen Flood will discuss his book 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History.  In his narrative, Flood brings to life the drama of Lincoln’s final year, in which he oversaw the final campaigns of the Civil War, was reelected President, and laid out his vision for the nation’s future in a reunified South and in the expanding of the West.  A book signing will follow the program.  The book is available from the Archives Shop.  Call (202) 357-5271.

Related Exhibitions

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, an interactive exhibit about the Lincoln assassination and the Booth conspiracy, and the original 1850 census volume that lists Abraham Lincoln as an attorney in Springfield, Illinois.

BIG! Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the National Archives
Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, through January 3, 2010
The National Archives celebrates its 75th year in 2009 with a new exhibition featuring big records, big events, and big ideas. The exhibition features a number of Lincoln-related items, including a section on the Gettysburg Address with an enormous map of the Gettysburg battlefield, and a rare photograph of President Lincoln at the dedication of the Civil War cemetery at Gettysburg. Also on display is a huge (175 page) telegraph from James W. Nye, governor of the Territory of Nevada, to President Lincoln, and a very large original design proposal for the Lincoln Memorial.

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. The National Archives is fully accessible. 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.

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For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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