Heart of Lincoln Land » Lincoln

New Lincoln Apparel T-shirts – “Wide Awake Club” and yellow “80s Abe”

Heart of Lincoln Land — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:55:07 +0000

This has been a busy summer so far for Lincoln Apparel, and I’m enjoying it. I’ve released two new designs – "Wide Awake Club", which was created for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s election this year, and a yellow version of my popular "80s Abe" T-shirt, which has also been reprinted and restocked in its three original colors as well (no longer are any of the sizes "temporarily out of stock"). All of these shirts are now available on the Lincoln Apparel website, as well as locally at Springfield Novelties and Gifts on 6th Street and at the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market artisan area each Saturday.

The “Wide Awake Club” T-shirt has a lot of history behind it, and it was designed to resemble an 1860 Lincoln campaign banner or poster. In fact, during the creation of the shirt, I researched what many of these looked like, and incorporated their design style or elements into the design.

Before you ask, the "Wide Awakes" were localized, grassroots groups of young Lincoln supporters during the 1860 presidential campaign, thus the name of the T-shirt (and the reason why it says "Wide Awake Club"). I’ve already gotten asked this quite a bit, and I enjoy educating people about this (and other bits) of Lincoln history (my T-shirts do make great conversational pieces!). In fact, the "Wide Awakes" themselves had their own banners, with each club having a different design that was specific to their locality. One such banner is on display in the Old State Capitol, near the governor’s office. (It reads "LINCOLN, 3rd Ward, Mind Your Eye, WIDE AWAKES", and there is a picture of this Wide Awakes banner here.)

Now, obviously, with one T-shirt design it wouldn’t be possible to create a T-shirt for each specific locality (since I’d need to create a different design for each locality), so I had to settle for making a non-localized design. I based the design off of a picture of Lincoln often used during his 1860 Presidential campaign – the famous "Cooper Union" portrait, taken in February of 1860 in New York City, during a trip where he gave a famous speech that helped convince Easterners, and the nation, that he was a serious contender for President.

Now, in 1860, the process of "halftoning" – using dots of different sizes to print photographs and other images with gradients – had not been invented yet. So instead of using a photograph and having it printed with halftones on the shirt, I used a lithograph instead, which is what would have been printed in newspapers and on posters and the like in 1860. I artistically divided it into red and blue colors, since I knew I was going to use those patriotic colors for my design. I then focused on other common elements used in Lincoln election propoganda in 1860 – slogans like "Honest Old Abe" and "Railsplitter of the West", and imagery related to Lincoln’s frontier roots and his "Railsplitter" moniker, which I added into the lower portion of the design, under the lower half of the oval-shaped portrait of Lincoln.

Finishing up the design, I added 33 stars above the portrait of Lincoln – one for each state in the Union in 1860. (In fact, the flag that flies above the Old State Capitol is a 33 star flag – otherwise, it wouldn’t be fully restored to its 1860 appearance.) Finally, I added the text, "ABRAHAM LINCOLN for President 1860", below all of the artwork. I used fonts that were in common use on posters and banners 1860 for this and the other textual elements of the design.

All of these design elements come together to create a new original design, that resembles an 1860 Lincoln campaign poster or banner, and translates to the T-shirt medium well. Not that wearing something to support your candidate was necessarily new back then – people wore ribbons, typically emblazoned with their candidate’s picture, to support their candidate, just how nowadays, people wear T-shirts and buttons. So, in a lot of ways, the campaign T-shirt is the descendant of the campaign ribbon, except it’s bigger, like a banner. I can easily see Lincoln supporters wearing this T-shirt in 1860 if T-shirts existed then. (You can read more about the 1860 election in this post).

However, now you can show your support for Lincoln today (don’t you wish he could be president sometimes?) by wearing this T-shirt. It’s a cream colored T-shirt, instead of a white one, to make it feel old and authentic. Cool, isn’t it?

And speaking of cool stuff, my popular "80s Abe" T-shirt, representing a Lincoln for a different past era, one I love and that I grew up in, has been reprinted and is now in stock again. (You can read more about the creation of the "80s Abe" T-shirt here.) This time, I added a new color – yellow – in addition to the black, blue, and green colors, and the sizes now start at small instead of medium, since I’ve had people ask me why I don’t have any small. (I originally thought the design would be too big for that size, that’s why, but it really isn’t – the new shirts have the same 17×20 inch print as the old ones).

Interestingly, "80s Abe" has sold well and enjoyed a great reception amongst people of all generations, not just my own. I’ve sold that shirt to younger people, and older people as well. The 1980s were a time of great creativity amongst many different types of art and creative work; this goes to show that great art and creative work is timeless and appeals to any generation, much like Lincoln.

Another interesting thing is that "80s Abe" actually has no words (unless you want to count Lincoln’s signature). I think this sums up how I feel about T-shirts in general – the great ones need no words, just great artwork. I’ve never been one to wear simple funny text T-shirts; rather, I’ve always enjoyed making the world a brighter place by wearing cool artistic T-shirts. I love the T-shirt as an art medium since it’s wearable, so other people can see the artistic message, and spread it, instead of it just being something to hang on your wall, and because T-shirts provide a rather large "canvas" on which to "paint" your design.

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New features available on lincolnapparel.com

Heart of Lincoln Land — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:20:04 +0000

The new "Wearing Lincoln Apparel" page on lincolnapparel.com allows you to submit a photo of you or your friends wearing a Lincoln Apparel T-shirt!

The past month I’ve been busy selling my Lincoln Apparel T-shirts at the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market, at Springfield Novelties and Gifts, and dealing with website orders (I had an order of 8 T-shirts just a few days ago!). The response to Lincoln Apparel has been overwhelmingly positive, and even though it can be a lot of work at times, it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy doing it – I finally feel like Lincoln Apparel and the message of Lincoln and his legacy is getting out there through my artistic Lincoln T-shirts. And that of course, is what I want to happen – for people to see my colorful Lincoln art on somebody’s T-shirt and get reminded of Lincoln and his legacy.

One of the things I’ve done in the past month is add, and code in, some new features on the Lincoln Apparel website. Much of this was done around late June/early July. I’ve added:

a newsletter where you can sign up to receive updates on new Lincoln Apparel designs, find shows and retail venues Lincoln Apparel will be at, and more;
a Wearing Lincoln Apparel page where you can show off your cool new Lincoln Apparel T-shirt, or Lincoln Apparel T-shirts your friends/family/other people you know may be wearing – I’ve got a couple photos on that page already that Lincoln Apparel fans have sent me;
a Lincoln Apparel Local page, where you can find information on physical retail stores our T-shirts are available in, as well as shows we’re going to be at;
a Lincoln Apparel product RSS feed, that will get updated whenever I post new shirts.

"80s Abe" has been the most popular Lincoln Apparel T-shirt so far this year.

Be sure to check out the new features on my website! I’ll be at the artisan area in the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market again this Saturday, July 24th, from 8 to 12:30, so be sure to stop by. The artisan area is located at the southeast corner of 4th and Adams, in historic downtown Springfield. I’ll be in the shadow by the building on the east side of the artisan area, where it’s cool in the morning, with some cool 80s music playing on some little portable speakers I got a couple weeks ago, that I can hook up to my portable CD/MP3 player (I’m still working on the tent).

I’ll also be coming out with my new “Wide Awake Club” Campaign 1860 Lincoln T-shirt soon. All I have to do is take pictures of it and put it up on my website. I’ll make another post about about the T-shirt and the story behind it (it involves a lot of Lincoln history) when it’s up!

I’m also going to get "80s Abe" reprinted, since it’s been a very popular design and I’m sold out of a lot of them. In addition, my Lincoln Bicentennial shirts – the poignant, serious "Equality" and the fun, colorful "Back to Springfield" – are beginning to sell out. No more of these designs will be printed – so if you love them, be sure to pick them up soon, as eventually they will be replaced by new designs!

"Equality" (left) and "Back to Springfield" (right) are both starting to sell out. These Lincoln Apparel designs will not be reprinted, so if you like them, be sure to pick them up soon!

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The new “Immortal Words at Gettysburg” T-shirts are in!

Heart of Lincoln Land — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:05:20 +0000

For some time I’ve been meaning to restock my Immortal Words at Gettysburg T-shirts, since I sold out of most of them. Along with that, I always wanted to redo the design as a large "oversize" print, so that the details in the fonts and in the picture of Lincoln could be seen. I now have the new "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" T-shirts redone with the big print, and I posted them on the Lincoln Apparel website last night. (I’ve also been working on redesigning some parts of the Lincoln Apparel site, and adding new features to it – you’ll notice some of this when you visit.)

The new T-shirts feature a 15×20 inch print, as opposed to the 12×16 inch print on the old T-shirts (of which I still have a few). The bigger design makes the text that much more readable and detailed, and the picture of Lincoln more imposing. It was always my intent to have this design printed so that it filled much of the front of the shirt; now, I’ve fulfilled that intent. In addition, "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" is now available in both men’s and women’s versions. The new ones are on American Apparel, so they are made in the USA and sweatshop free, the way Lincoln would want it to be.

The original "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" T-shirt, for comparison purposes. Still a good shirt, but notice how the design is smaller.

"Immortal Words at Gettysburg" is one of my most popular designs so far. One of the interesting things about it is how it seems to draw more attention online than locally. It is a design that explores how Lincoln is remembered by many different cultures and generations, using the words of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which is printed in its entirety on the shirt. I used a different font for each of the 272 words in Lincoln’s address, representing the different eras and different kinds of people that have evoked Lincoln and his memory. I created the design last fall about a month before the November 19th anniversary of the date Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address. You can read more about the creation of the T-shirt and the Gettysburg Address in the above linked blog post.

In addition to my website, the new "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" T-shirts are available at Springfield Novelties and Gifts on 6th Street in beautiful historic downtown Springfield, and on Saturdays at the artisan area of the downtown Springfield farmer’s market, located at 4th and Adams. Of course, you’ll be able to find my other designs at these places, too. The next day I’ll be at the market will be this Saturday, June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, an African-American holiday that celebrates the date in 1865 that word reached Texas that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had set the slaves free. It’s neat how this week’s date has a Lincoln connection. Hopefully Lincoln will give me some luck and I’ll do well, and I hope to see you there!

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My first day at the farmer’s market.

Heart of Lincoln Land — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:15:48 +0000

My display at the downtown Springfield farmer’s market on June 5th, showing my Lincoln T-shirts. That’s me wearing the blue "Back to Springfield" T-shirt.

Last month, my Lincoln Apparel T-shirts were accepted into the artisan area at the downtown Springfield farmer’s market. I was, and still am, excited! I’ve never done in-person shows like this before, only selling online and to local shops, so I never really get to see the customers who buy my T-shirts. Now, I have a chance to see how local residents and tourists react to my T-shirts, tell them how I make them, and maybe a little about Lincoln in the process.

June 5th was my first day at the market. I didn’t know what to expect, since I’d never done it before. In the week prior, I looked around for things I could use to create a display. It had to be lightweight, since I’d be doing this myself. So I went to some stores within walking distance of where I live, and got a table and chairs, a drying rack to hang samples of the T-shirts from, and posterboard to make a sign. I got some notecards to make little signs to put on the display T-shirts so people could see how much they cost and what sizes were available, and a little cooler so I could bring drinks. I didn’t get a tent because I didn’t want to add too much weight and because I didn’t think I’d need one for a show that was only 5 hours long, but now I’m rethinking that, particularly with the weather last Saturday. I can always upgrade my display though, if I feel the need.

You can see the display in the picture above (along with me, the Lincoln Apparel artist, wearing a blue "Back to Springfield" T-shirt). I took the picture (and the other pictures you see here) with my cellphone, since I forgot to bring my camera, so that’s why they look a little washed out. The posterboard didn’t quite work out, so I’ll need to find something stronger for the next time (I ended up taping the sign to the table since I couldn’t get it to stand up correctly). I might get a little boombox with a CD/MP3 player in it eventually so I can have some cool 80s music to listen to while I’m there.

The State Capitol as visible from my space at the downtown Springfield Farmer’s Market on June 5th. You can see some of the other artisans there.

The morning of June 5th was gray and humid, with clouds threatening rain, but I pressed on anyway. I was excited to do my first market. Most of the time it was dry, but every now and then a few sprinkles fell and it started to rain for about a half hour at 10. I’m thankful I got a tarp to cover up all the T-shirts in case that happened. My sign got all wet though, which ruined it because I used my printer to print it and inkjet ink is water-soluble. I think I’ll put mailing tape over the whole sign the next time, since that’s what I did for the notecard signs on the T-shirts and the ink didn’t run on those.

There weren’t as many people at the market as I’ve normally seen, probably because of the damp and rainy weather. It appeared that some of the other artists didn’t come, so I was kind of an island on the east side of the parking lot near the buildings on the south side of Adams Street. However, I did get plenty of people looking at my T-shirts, and many people remarked at how colorful and complex they were. When I told people who were looking that I love Lincoln and that I designed these T-shirts including the artwork, they seemed very impressed. I had many people ask me when I was going to be at the market next; I wish I had made up some cards with my schedule on it.

I did end up selling two of my T-shirts to one person. Not quite as many as I thought I would, but I attribute that to the rain keeping people away. The T-shirts were "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" and "Purpose". Hopefully the next time, the weather will be better and more people will be there.

It was a great experience, though. I enjoyed talking to people in person and seeing their reactions. It’s so much more enjoyable than just selling on the Internet. It’s interesting noting how customers interpret my artwork, and seeing which shirts they like the best. It’s neat to see what kinds of people my T-shirts attract, and they attracted what seemed to be a rather diverse group of customers. And the customers seemed to enjoy it too, since they can touch, see, and feel my T-shirts instead of just looking at a picture on a web site. The hardest part is just setting it up and taking it down, and transporting it (I got a dolly to help with that), which I’ll practice more in the future before my next day at the market, which will be June 12th.

I will also be at the downtown Springfield farmer’s market on July 3rd, August 7th, September 4th, and October 2nd. I’m thinking of adding additional days in between, particularly during the rest of June, July, and August, when tourist season is at its peak and people are looking for T-shirts. I hope to see you there sometime!

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Springfield Bicentennial photo tour done – finally!

Heart of Lincoln Land — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:59:08 +0000

Photo tour screenshot (showing the Lincoln Home). Start the tour>>

You may remember last summer (and early fall) I took a series of photos for my Lincoln Land 80s CD project, which I use to showcase (on CD covers for my custom 80s music CD collection) areas of Springfield that are unique to the city. I do this every year or so because I love it. I think it’s a creative way to honor Mr. Lincoln’s hometown.

Included are big, well known sites like the Lincoln Home and Museum, and the Old State Capitol, lesser known places like the Vachel Lindsay Home and the Iles House, streetscapes that define the city, unique places in older neighborhoods on each side of town, and more. I decided to take all of the 88 photos and create a good photo tour of Springfield on my blog using all of the photos, so that you can tour these places that make Springfield unique yourself. Last year was especially important, because it was the year of the Lincoln Bicentennial, so this tour will be a great resource for showing what the city looked like that momentous year in history.

Move your mouse over one of the pink arrows on the map to see what it is – then click on it to see the photo.

Over the past few months I’ve been coding custom CSS and HTML to make it work. I wanted to make it so that you could click a spot on a map of Springfield where a photo was taken, and up would pop a photo with a description so you can see what it looks like, and a bit of the history behind it. I succeeded in creating a tour like this (though it took more time than I thought). Each photo is marked on the map with a pink arrow and number from 1 to 88 (assigned in the chronological order I took the pictures), and when you move your mouse over a pink arrow, you’ll see a little tooltip that tells you what it is. Then when you click on it, you’ll see the picture and the description. The photos I used in this tour are much better quality than the ones I posted on my blog last year – they’re 720×540 pixels instead of little 200×150 thumbnails, allowing much more detail to be shown.

I plan to keep doing this project in the future to improve upon photos taken in the past, and to show what changes have occurred. I’ll likely base tours from future iterations of Lincoln Land 80s off the same CSS code, eventually creating a tour where you can go back in time as well, and see the changes that have occurred.

The tour is saved as a special page on my blog, so you will always be able to access it. It’s called Springfield: A Bicentennial Portrait, and you can access it from the Pages section in the sidebar. Enjoy the tour!

I have some great news with the Lincoln T-shirts to share with you too. I’ll make another post soon about it!

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Lincoln’s Nomination to Run for President – May 18, 1860

Heart of Lincoln Land — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:58:29 +0000

"Campaign 1860" Lincoln T-shirt design by Lincoln Apparel. This is a mockup; I’m working on getting this printed soon!

Today is the 150th anniversary of the day that Lincoln was nominated to run for President. I’ve designed a new T-shirt (pictured to the right), styled like a campaign banner or poster from the era, to commemorate this and Lincoln’s subsequent run for President. It isn’t printed yet, but I’ll have that done soon.

Lincoln secured the Republican Party nomination for President on May 18, 1860, during the Republican convention in Chicago. He secured the nomination on the third ballot. Because candidates did not actively campaign during Lincoln’s time, Lincoln was not present at the convention, instead he was at home in Springfield monitoring the activities at the convention and the results of the balloting.

Unlike today, there were also no formal primaries during Lincoln’s time. Candidates were chosen via a system of state and national conventions; Lincoln’s nickname, “The Rail Splitter”, came from the state convention a few weeks earlier in Decatur. The name was the brainchild of Richard J. Oglesby, a friend and political ally of Abraham Lincoln, and a future governor of Illinois (he was governor when Lincoln was assassinated, and during the latter years of the Civil War). At the Decatur convention, Lincoln’s mother’s cousin John Hanks recalled that Lincoln had split rails in the area 30 years earlier, and carried rails supposedly split by Lincoln into the convention. Between the two rails a banner was stretched, reading:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The Rail Candidate
FOR PRESIDENT IN 1860
Two rails from a lot of 3000
made in 1830 by Hanks and Abe Lincoln
whose father was the first pioneer
of Macon County.

When the rails and the banner were brought in, the crowd in Decatur went wild for Abraham Lincoln, and he went on to the national convention in Chicago.

There were three cities – Indianapolis, Chicago, and St. Louis, that the Republican Party in 1860 thought of holding the national convention. The cities were chosen because anti-slavery sentiment was strong in them, and they were located in states Republicans wanted to pick up in 1860 after losing them in 1856. St. Louis was quickly eliminated because it was located in a slave state; Chicago was later chosen since it was easily accessible via rail, had enough hotel rooms for the convention, and was located in a state the Republicans wanted to win in 1860.

For the convention, a giant temporary structure, called the “Wigwam”, was built in Chicago. It was located at the corner of Lake Street and Market Street (now Wacker Drive). (There is a historical marker there noting the location now.) It was like a temporary stadium – it was to hold the 466 delegates, hundreds of newspaper reporters, and perhaps up to 10,000 spectators, with over 1,000 of them on an upper balcony. Just imagine how loud it would be in there – and it was, since supporters of candidates basically had to yell, since there were no microphones back then. Delegates were seated in different sections based upon the state they represented; like conventions today, the number of delegates per state was proportional to the size of the electorate. It took a majority vote of the delegates to secure the nomination, so Lincoln needed 234 votes.

William H. Seward

Senator William H. Seward of New York was the front-runner for the nomination in 1860. Many people considered Lincoln, who was lesser known, to be a second choice. However, because Lincoln was considered more moderate on the slavery issue than Seward, he was more popular in states in the lower North, like Pennsylvania, Indiana, and his home state of Illinois. The Republicans felt that they would have a better chance of winning if they could get a candidate that could carry these important states. However, they had to avoid angering Seward strongholds like New York (which had the largest number of delegates) and Michigan. Salmon P. Chase was popular in his home state of Ohio, so Lincoln couldn’t necessarily count on votes from that state either. There was a lot of competition at the convention to become the Republican nominee.

The convention was held from May 16-18, 1860. While Lincoln sent his friends and supporters, he did not attend himself, as that was not the custom of the day. He eagerly awaited the voting results here in Springfield, frequenting the telegraph office on the north side of the square (where Pease’s Candy Shop now is) and the offices of the Republican-aligned Illinois State Journal newspaper (just north of the square on 6th Street, across from where the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is now). (The Illinois State Register was a Democratic-aligned paper; they later merged with the Journal in the 20th century to form today’s State Journal-Register).

On the first ballot, no one reached 234 votes, however, Seward led with 173 1/2 votes, and Lincoln came in second with 102 votes. (Lincoln predicted he would receive no more than 100 on the first ballot). Seward carried New York, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, while Lincoln carried Illinois and Indiana, picking up votes from other states as well along the way. This established Lincoln as a serious contender.

On the second ballot, Lincoln came back much stronger – 181 votes to Seward’s 184 1/2. New Hampshire voted strongly for Lincoln this time around, and Vermont became the first state to abandon its native candidate and go for Lincoln instead. More importantly, Pennsylvania chose to switch its votes to Lincoln from home state candidate Simon Cameron. Ohio still remained committed to their native, Salmon Chase. Nobody won, but Lincoln proved to be a formidable contender, and gained significant ground against Seward.

Finally, on the third ballot, Lincoln picked up additional votes from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Kentucky. More importantly, Chase delegates from Ohio began to switch their votes to Lincoln, eventually pushing Lincoln’s total past 234. At that point, cheering erupted and a cannon on the roof of the Wigwam was fired, and a photo of Lincoln was pulled from the committee room and carried through the center of the Wigwam as the crowds celebrated Lincoln’s nomination.

The 100 block of North 6th Street in Springfield today. The building on the left at the corner is where the telegraph office was located in 1860, and further down this block on the left is where the State Journal offices were located.

In Springfield, shortly after noon on Friday, May 18th, Lincoln went to the telegraph office on the north side of the square, awaiting the results. He decided after the second ballot to go to the offices of the State Journal. Officials from the paper went over to the telegraph office to wait for the results of the third ballot to come in. When the message arrived from Chicago that Lincoln had secured the nomination with 354 votes, the jubilant officials went back to the office to tell Lincoln he had won the nomination. Celebrations began as Lincoln walked out into the street. A hometown candidate had won the Republican nomination for President, something that did not seem likely before the convention. The celebrations continued on into the night.

Thus began Lincoln’s run for President in 1860. Symbols like the “Rail Splitter”, “Honest Old Abe”, and grassroots pro-Lincoln groups like the Wide-Awakes were formed. I’ll leave these elements (which I combined into my Campaign 1860 T-shirt design you see above) for more blog posts later on as the 150th anniversary celebration of Lincoln’s election continues this year.

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Downtown Springfield Upper Story Tour – A Review (with pictures!)

Heart of Lincoln Land — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:01:05 +0000

Buck’s Building

Every year since 2000, in early May, Downtown Springfield, Inc. hosts a tour of beautiful downtown spaces you can’t normally see. I feel it is a wonderful way to showcase downtown living and the interiors and exteriors of the many beautiful buildings we have in our downtown. As you may know, I live near downtown, and I believe there is no better place in Springfield to be.

I’ve been on each Upper Story since 2004. Featured buildings and spaces in the past have included the dome of the Old State Capitol, apartments above Augie’s on 5th Street, Lincoln Place Condominiums on 4th Street, and the Shutt and DuBois houses in the Lincoln Home neighborhood. The featured buildings are different each year, and buildings are usually not repeated in subsequent years. Sometimes, featured spaces are “raw” spaces under renovation, and in other cases they are finished spaces. Residential, commercial, and even normally inaccessible areas of public buildings have been featured. Both historic Lincoln-era and modern (and everything in between) spaces have been featured. In most of the years I’ve done the tour, I’ve made it to all of the buildings on the tour. Each year, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the views of (and from) the downtown spaces showcased.

St. Nicholas Hotel

This year included two spaces that have been shown before – one of the Lincoln Square Apartments (facing 6th Street), and Buck’s Building on the north side of the square. It also included an 11th floor apartment – and the penthouse – in the St. Nicholas Hotel, an apartment on the 21st floor of the Hilton (I actually didn’t even know there were apartments in the Hilton until this tour), the bishop’s residence at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 6th and Lawrence, and the Bunn-Sankey House on the 1000 block of South 6th Street (near Clay Street). The tour of Buck’s Building, a Lincoln-era building on the north side of the square, offered a good before-and-after perspective of the building on this tour, since the last time it was featured – in 2004 – it was a raw space under renovation. It’s neat to see it finished.

While I was on the tour, I brought my camera since I know there would be good views. I took 96 pictures, about 40 of which can be seen here in the tour on my blog (the others didn’t turn out well enough). The pictures are of 4 of the 6 buildings on the tour, since you (sadly) couldn’t take pictures inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and I ran out of pictures on my memory card before I got to Lincoln Square (the last space I toured). I will tell you that both spaces were very beautiful, though – from the gorgeous 1928 interior of the bishop’s residence, to the more modern, but still fancy, interior of Lincoln Square, which is inside a section of the apartments facing 6th Street that was built in 1868 (the main section of the apartments visible at 5th and Monroe was built in 1984). All in all, it was a great tour, and a great day to walk around and explore downtown.

You can explore four of the buildings, too, via the photographs I took of them. Simply click a link below to take a virtual tour of that specific building. These tours are separate pages on my blog, and you will always be able to access it from the Downtown Springfield Upper Story Tour 2010 link under “Pages” in the sidebar. Have fun!

Tour Buck’s Building on the North Side of the Square>>	Tour the Bunn-Sankey House, 6th Street and Clay Street>>
Tour the Hilton Hotel, 7th Street and Adams Street>>	Tour the St. Nicholas Hotel, 4th Street and Jefferson Street>>

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Springfield Bicentennial photo tour done – finally!

Fun week at Lincoln Apparel.

Heart of Lincoln Land — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:00:49 +0000

"Immortal Words at Gettysburg" Lincoln T-shirt by Lincoln Apparel

It’s fun as an artist being able to live your passion, and see how other people enjoy your work. It gives me a sense of pride, and accomplishment, knowing that other people enjoy my artistic vision that I put so much work into.

Last Saturday, I sold 3 of my Lincoln T-shirts to a tourist from Chicago. I sold them through Springfield Novelties and Gifts, the shop in downtown Springfield where I have some of my shirts for sale. I was on one of my regular walks through downtown, stopping in the store checking on them, when the owner told me that they sold. He stated that the tourist thought that my artwork was "really good", and that the tourist enjoyed the fact that I am local. I sold one of my "Back to Springfield" T-shirts, one of my "Equality" T-shirts, and one of my "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" T-shirts to that tourist that day. I was ecstatic when I found out that it happened – I felt proud and humbled at the same time that there are perfect strangers who love my Lincoln artwork!

Then on Monday, I sold a T-shirt on my website to somebody in Brazil. It’s neat thinking there are people in other countries who enjoy your work! The Internet is a neat place sometimes, isn’t it? Slowly but surely, it seems that my work is getting out there, and it proves that Abraham Lincoln is admired in many different places. I started Lincoln Apparel because I wanted to spread Lincoln and his message through my wearable art T-shirts, and now it’s happening. Isn’t that cool?

I’m thinking of putting a world map on the Lincoln Apparel website showing all the places I’ve sold T-shirts to. It’d be fun to see how many states and countries have ordered at least one of my Lincoln T-shirts!

Interestingly, "Immortal Words at Gettysburg", a T-shirt I made to illustrate Lincoln’s multicultural appeal, remains one of my most popular sellers. I’m going to make more of them (since I’m selling out of the ones I have), this time with the design printed as an oversize "full-front" print, so that more of the detail in the fonts in the Gettysburg Address text can be seen. I think it’d turn out great that way – it’s a design that’s begging to be printed so that it fills up the front of the shirt. I’ll let you know about this and any other cool Lincoln designs I have coming. T-shirts are a great way to spread Lincoln’s message, and that’s one reason why I love making them!

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Happy 5th Birthday, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum!

Heart of Lincoln Land — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:01:06 +0000

Today, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, my favorite museum in the country, is officially 5 years old. (What other museum would a Lincoln fan have as a favorite?) It opened on April 19, 2005, at the end of a 4-day log celebration, and I was there for much of it. I still remember the light show a couple nights before it opened (it was one of the most awesome things I’ve seen), and the crowd of 25,000 or more people (much of it standing room-only) watching the dedication, where then-President George W. Bush and future president Barack Obama both spoke. I was actually one of the lucky people who got a seat, though I had to sit pretty far back (about in the middle of what is now Union Square Park).

After the dedication, I took my first tour of the museum. It took me over 6 hours to go through it all. (I still find it hard to believe that the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau recommends 2 hours – it takes at least 3-4 hours for the average person to go through the museum, based on my observation). I read everything in the Museum that I could, and looked at all of the lifelike exhibits, staring and wondering with awe in many cases. Of course, I visited both of the Museum’s theaters that day (both of which feature incredible special effects), saw the temporary exhibit “Blood on the Moon” (about Lincoln’s assassination), and looked with awe (again) at the actual Lincoln artifacts scattered throughout the Museum and in the Treasures Gallery. (Man, these were the actual things Lincoln wrote and touched, I told myself as I could feel Lincoln’s spirit coming over me.)

Lincoln would be proud!

That day, the museum had its first 3,500 visitors, and today the museum remains by far the most visited Presidential museum in the country – with over 2.2 million visitors thus far, and about 400,000 to 500,000 visitors each year. The visitors come from places far and wide – all 50 states, and every continent – and as a volunteer there for 5 years so far, I’ve met people from England, France, Japan, China, and Brazil.

I feel lucky to live in Mr. Lincoln’s Hometown, within walking distance of his wonderful museum (and many of the other Lincoln sites). It has helped bring additional tourists to Springfield, brought greater vibrancy to our downtown, and most importantly, has introduced additional people to the Lincoln story. I highly recommend visiting it, whether you’re from Springfield and haven’t visited it yet (come on, you know you have to), or you’re from another state or country and you’re looking for something fun and interesting to see. Of course, make sure you see the other Lincoln sites too – like his Home and Tomb, and the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices – all iconic places that contribute greatly to the Lincoln legacy.

Today, beginning at 10:30, there will be a ceremony at the Museum celebrating its 5th anniversary, and cake will be served. It looks like it will be a wonderful day in Springfield, like the day the museum was dedicated. I hope you come see it soon!

(By the way, if you follow the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on Twitter or fan the ALPLM on Facebook you can win a neat prize! I’m already a fan and a follower, of course.)

Some pictures from the dedication in 2005:

President George W. Bush speaks to a crowd of over 25,000 people during the dedication ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on April 19, 2005.

A Lincoln presenter at the Old State Capitol during the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, April 18, 2005.

A Lincoln presenter performs a re-enactment of Lincoln's Farewell Address to a crowd of several thousand during the dedication ceremony of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, April 18, 2005.

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Lincoln’s 201st Birthday Schedule

4/14 – Lincoln’s Last Day

Heart of Lincoln Land — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:13:21 +0000

Lincoln mourning badge (courtesy Library of Congress)

145 years ago today was Good Friday, April 14, 1865. Spring was in full swing in Washington, the Union had just won the war, and people were celebrating, wondering what President Lincoln would do now that the war was over.

The Lincolns decided that after all the stress of the war, they’d go to the theater tonight to watch a funny play called “Our American Cousin”. A famous actor at the time, John Wilkes Booth, had pro-Confederate sympathies and full access to Ford’s Theatre – and he was plotting revenge against the President on this day.

The following is a timeline of the events of Lincoln’s last day:

8 a.m.: Lincoln’s son Robert arrives in Washington from Appomattox for breakfast with his family.

9-11 a.m.: Lincoln receives members of Congress congratulating him on winning the war; conducts interviews with several prominent officials and citizens. He visits the War Department and tells General Thomas T. Eckert of his plans to attend the theater tonight, and invites him to come along.

11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Cabinet meets. Grant reports on the surrender of Lee’s forces at Appomattox; Stanton presents a plan for re-establishing authority in the South. There is discussion about what to do about Jefferson Davis and other Southern leaders. Lincoln tells of a recurring dream he is having, about a ship moving rapidly “towards a dark and indefinite shore”.

2-3 p.m.: Lincoln lunches privately with Mary.

3 p.m.: Lincoln interviews Vice President Johnson. He meets Nancy Bushrod, an African-American woman, regarding her husband’s pay.

4 p.m.: Congressman Shellabarger of Ohio calls on Lincoln to discuss appointments.

4:30 p.m: Lincoln’s assistant secretary reports that Jacob Thompson, a Confederate agent in Canada, is in the United States now, awaiting sail for Europe. Lincoln is asked whether he should be able to leave the country, and Lincoln allows him to leave.

5-7 p.m.: The Lincolns go for a leisurely drive in Washington. They stop at Navy Yard, and pass a house that reminds them of their home in Springfield. They talk of a time when they can both go back home and live peacefully.

7 p.m.: Lincoln meets with Governor Richard J. Ogelsby of Illinois and other Illinois friends at the White House. Lincoln has dinner, and interviews Senator Colfax of Indiana regarding a special session of Congress.

8 p.m.: Former congressman Ashmun of Massachusetts meets Lincoln regarding a cotton claim against the government; Lincoln gives him an appointment to come in at 9 a.m. the next day (April 15th).

8:30 p.m.: Lincoln and his wife Mary, along with Clara Harris and Major General Henry R. Rathbone, make their way to Ford’s Theatre for a performance of the comedy “Our American Cousin”.

9 p.m.: The play begins.

10 p.m.: The Lincolns had what would be the last discussion of their life. Mary put her arms around her husband and asked, “What will Miss Harris think of my hanging on to you so?” Lincoln replied, “She won’t think anything about it”.

10:13 p.m.: Booth leaps into the President’s box and shoots Lincoln, then jumps back down onto the stage, hurting his leg. Suddenly, chaos erupted. Some people in the audience thought it was an act of the play and did not immediately realize the President had been shot. Someone in the audience yelled “Booth!” and eventually the whole audience was yelling it. Mary cried “Help!”, and Harris yelled, “Stop that man!” Eventually, the whole audience was yelling “Hang him!”

Shortly after 10:13 p.m.: Lincoln is moved across the street to the Petersen House where he is treated by doctors. Mary stays near Lincoln’s bedside; Robert, his secretary John Hay come later from the White House. Throughout the night, Vice President Johonson, and other family members and people who have other relations to Lincoln come to his bedside.

7:22 a.m. April 15: President Lincoln dies. Secretary Stanton utters the famous words “Now he belongs to the Ages.” (These words are engraved in the burial chamber inside Lincoln’s Tomb here in Springfield.)

Now for some interesting facts related to the assassination. Did you know that watches and clocks are often set to the time 7:22 in advertisements in memory of President Lincoln’s passing? Another interesting fact is that April 15, 1837, was the date that Lincoln moved to Springfield. And did you know that the year 2006 had the same calendar as the year 1865, and that that year, April 14th was Good Friday? I wonder how often that happens. What’s weird is that that is the same year that two tornadoes hit Springfield and my grandfather died. Creepy, isn’t it?

Tomorrow morning at 11, as there is each year on April 15, there is a commemoration of the death of President Lincoln at the Lincoln Tomb here in Springfield. I will be there, as I have been each year since 2004. I hope I’m not the only Lincoln fan who gets sad around this time of year.

[Edit: A commentor pointed out that John Wilkes Booth was not actually an actor in this play; however, he had access to Ford's Theatre through his fame, and thus was able to shoot Lincoln even though he was not in the play.]

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