Heart of Lincoln Land

Lincoln Apparel’s new "Wide Awake Club" T-shirt, intended to look like how a Lincoln campaign T-shirt might have in 1860. Copyright © 2010 Lincoln Apparel.

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.

Closeup of the new "Wide Awake Club" Lincoln T-shirt by Lincoln Apparel. Copyright © 2010 Lincoln Apparel.

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?

The new yellow "80s Abe" Lincoln T-shirt. The other three colors have been reprinted too, and are now in stock again. Copyright ©2009 Lincoln Apparel.

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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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" Lincoln T-shirt, showing the new enlarged design. Copyright © 2009 Lincoln Apparel.

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 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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"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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"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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The original "Purpose" Lincoln T-shirt design, using pink.

Sometimes, life is difficult. I was going through a rough patch a couple of months ago, when I felt as though I wasn’t getting the proper recognition for my art. Out of that rough patch I created this inspiring Lincoln T-shirt.

I’ve admired Lincoln for almost 15 years, and one of the reasons why I admire him is his sense of purpose, and how he always struggled for the things he believed in even when it appeared as though he would not succeed. His words, experiences, and actions have served to inspire me even during the darkest periods of my life – like in school during the 1990s, a time period I’d rather not remember now (or ever). Abraham Lincoln is like my personal motivational speaker – I gain all the motivation and inspiration I need to continue, during good times and bad, from him.

During the creation of this T-shirt I used bright, inspiring colors to present Lincoln as an illuminating, inspiring figure. I added bright brush strokes to areas like Lincoln’s hair and beard, to further “illuminate” Lincoln and draw attention to him and his sense of purpose. The dark blue colors I used in the background represent the sadness and difficulty of the Civil War and the evils of slavery, crises over which he would ultimately triumph. I based the design off of a photo of Lincoln which I feel shows his confidence and determination well. I could feel Lincoln’s sense of purpose, and his courage and tenacity, as I was creating this painting-like design.

The modified "Purpose" design, which uses turquoise, for guys.

The quote, “Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did”, comes from a letter Lincoln wrote to a Civil War cadet during the summer of 1862, who was feeling badly at the time, advising him to stick to his purpose. The summer of 1862 was a difficult time for Lincoln, too – the war was going badly, casualties were great, and he would soon deal with the political fallout from the Emancipation Proclamation, which many, even in the North, did not approve of at the time.

Originally, this design was created using pink as the bright color. I decided after it was completed that I should make a version that wasn’t so feminine for guys, too – and so there is a version that uses turquoise as the bright color as well. As a result, this Lincoln T-shirt is available in both men’s and women’s sizes. The men’s Lincoln T-shirts use the turquoise design, and the women’s T-shirts use the original pink design. Enjoy!

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The image on this Lincoln T-shirt evokes the events of 145 years ago.

Copyright © 2008 Lincoln Apparel

145 years ago today, Washington, D.C., and the North were in celebration, as the day before, Lee had surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. At the time of the surrender, which occurred during the afternoon of April 9, Lincoln was en route back to Washington from his trip to Richmond. He did not hear about the surrender until he arrived in Washington at around sundown, where the city was in celebration, and streets were alive with people, and there were fireworks, bonfires, and bells ringing. Crowds assembled at the White House calling for the President to speak; Lincoln gave a few brief remarks.

On April 10, the celebrations continued. Crowds serenaded Lincoln, bands played, and Lincoln gave many extemporaneous remarks, but not a full speech. Lincoln responded to the serenades, stating that he would give a speech the next day.

On the evening of April 11th, Lincoln appeared in his second floor White House window to give a speech to the crowd before him, assembled on the White House lawn. His son Tad appeared with him, holding a lantern for him to read by, and Mary appeared in another window. Lincoln began to read his speech, illustrating his vision for America after the Civil War. Here, he restated his view that the seceded states had never actually left the Union, and outlined plans for reconstruction, using Louisiana, which had recently adopted a free state constitution, as an example. More importantly, he endorsed black voting rights, and his desire to reunify the country, both North and South, and black and white.

One of the things that’s always inspired and intrigued me about Lincoln is his struggle to free the slaves and his struggle for racial equality. In fact, this is one of the main things that got me interested in Lincoln in the first place. His speech on April 11, 1865, offers a window into Lincoln’s vision for a future America where everyone would have rights, regardless of race. Here, he endorsed the ratification of the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, that he worked so hard for (and which passed Congress a few months earlier – on January 31, 1865), endorsed the benefit of public schools for black and white, and voting rights for the same.

In particular, I love this passage:
"These twelve thousand persons are thus fully committed to the Union, and to perpetual freedom in the state–committed to the very things, and nearly all the things the nation wants–and they ask the nations recognition and it’s assistance to make good their committal. Now, if we reject, and spurn them, we do our utmost to disorganize and disperse them. We in effect say to the white men "You are worthless, or worse–we will neither help you, nor be helped by you." To the blacks we say "This cup of liberty which these, your old masters, hold to your lips, we will dash from you, and leave you to the chances of gathering the spilled and scattered contents in some vague and undefined when, where, and how." If this course, discouraging and paralyzing both white and black, has any tendency to bring Louisiana into proper practical relations with the Union, I have, so far, been unable to perceive it. If, on the contrary, we recognize, and sustain the new government of Louisiana the converse of all this is made true. We encourage the hearts, and nerve the arms of the twelve thousand to adhere to their work, and argue for it, and proselyte for it, and fight for it, and feed it, and grow it, and ripen it to a complete success. The colored man too, in seeing all united for him, is inspired with vigilance, and energy, and daring, to the same end."

That eloquent passage about uniting black and white makes you wonder what would have happened with civil rights had Lincoln actually lived out his second term. Lincoln was an inspiring, unifying figure who never stopped believing in what he felt was right. I plan to release some bright new inspiring Lincoln T-shirts soon – entitled “Purpose” – that illustrate Lincoln’s sense of purpose and that feature a bright, complex illustration of Lincoln I created. Watch this blog and my Lincoln Apparel website for the cool new Lincoln T-shirts!

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OK, back to Lincoln now. I’ve created a new Lincoln T-shirt design, entitled "80s Abe", that blends my Lincoln and 80s interests. The T-shirts are available in black (shown), blue, and green on the Lincoln Apparel website, at my Etsy store, and at Springfield Novelties and Gifts on the 200 block of South 6th Street in historic downtown Springfield.

I’ve always wanted to create a "full front" print design, where the design fills up most or all of the front of the T-shirt. I’ve always loved how they look, and how intricate they often are. This is my first such design. I had a lot of fun making it!

This design was inspired by the famous "crew cut" portrait of Lincoln taken in February of 1865. As an 80s fan and a Lincoln fan, I’ve always loved this striking portrait of Lincoln. It shows Lincoln with an unusually short "crew cut" style haircut, perhaps because at this time sculptor Clark Mills was creating a life mask of Lincoln’s face. The plaster used to create the mask stuck to his hair, so Lincoln needed his hair cut short.

In the 1980s, this style of haircut became popular. So did bright neon colors, which I’ve always liked. It seemed only fitting that as a Lincoln fan, an 80s fan, and an artist, I’d create a T-shirt using this picture of Lincoln and bright 80s colors.

I figured that a design of this nature would look awesome as a "full front" print. Furthermore, it was simple enough that I could use it to "test" full front printing, but complex enough to be interesting and see how it would work before I made a very complex and intricate full front print design.

The results were spectacular, and I plan to make many more "full front" print T-shirts. The "80s Abe" represents a Lincoln for my generation, and for newer generations that have come to love the 80s. Lincoln, his words, and his memory have been invoked by every generation through the ages, and the 80s were no different. During that time, the "house divided" became a metaphor for the division between the Western democracies and the communist Eastern bloc countries, and his words were often used to extoll the virtues of democracy and promote its spread.

The fight for Lincoln’s ideals continues today. I chose to print this design on American Apparel, a sweatshop free, made in America T-shirt brand. I don’t think Lincoln would believe in sweatshop labor, so I won’t use brands of T-shirts that are made that way. I think he would want things to be made ethically, in a manner in which the workers have rights, so I make sure to make my T-shirts in accordance with his beliefs. These T-shirts are soft, comfortable, and durable, too – and I think Lincoln would like that!

Enjoy the T-shirt, enjoy Lincoln and the 80s, and feel good about it, too!

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Here’s a schedule of events being held for Lincoln’s 201st Birthday in Springfield. I plan to be at as many of them as I can!

I normally attend the Painter Lectures at the Lincoln Home and the Lincoln Symposium at the Old State Capitol. This year I’m definitely attending the special artifact display at the Museum on the 11th, and possibly the penny unveiling earlier that day. The discussion on the 14th at the Hilton also sounds interesting since it involves emancipation, a Lincoln subject I have always been interested in. I’ll probably be at the discussion at the Lincoln Home on the 13th as well.

I’ll be wearing my Lincoln T-shirts throughout the celebration (one of which is pictured above, which is a limited edition T-shirt for the Bicentennial). You can find them at the Lincoln Apparel website and at Springfield Novelties and Gifts in historic downtown Springfield on 6th Street, between Monroe and Adams.

Happy Lincoln’s Birthday!

Thursday, the 11th (Lincoln’s Birthday Eve):
* Unveiling of the new, redesigned Lincoln penny at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, beginning at 9:30 in the morning. Thousands of collectors are expected. The penny is being redesigned for the Lincoln Bicentennial; tomorrow is the last day Lincoln will be 200 years old.
* Artifact Vigil at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum: Several Lincoln artifacts will be on display, including a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, the inkwell Lincoln used to write his First Inaugural Address, the original clock from the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, and more. Admission to this special event will be free after 5:30. There will also be presentations in the Union Theater at 6:30 and 8:15. The event will run until 10:00 pm.
* At the Vachel Lindsay Home at 6, Marc Aronson, author of "A History Beyond Black and White", will be giving a presentation.

Lincoln’s 201st Birthday, Friday, February 12th:
* This year’s theme for the annual Painter Lectures at the Lincoln Home is "Election of a President". It runs in the morning from 9 until noon. It is free.
* There will be a luncheon at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (costing $25) featuring author Richard Fox at noon.
* The annual Abraham Lincoln Symposium at the Old State Capitol will be from 1 to 4 in the afternoon. This year’s theme is "Lincoln’s Critics". This event is free.
* The annual banquet will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. It will be easier to get into than last year, when President Obama attended. It costs $85, and Harold Holzer will be the speaker.
* At Lincoln Land Community College, John Lupton will give a talk at 9 on Lincoln forgeries. It is free.
* Also at Lincoln Land, there will be an exhibit of Lincoln posters.
* There will be children’s storytelling programs (featuring Springfield Lincoln presenter Fritz Klein) at the Old State Capitol at 10 and at the Lincoln Home at 1.
* A time capsule featuring items from the Lincoln Bicentennial will be filled at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum during a brief ceremony at 1.
* The annual American Legion pilgrimage to the Tomb will be at 10:30.

Saturday, February 13th:
* The VFW will hold a pilgrimage to the Lincoln Tomb at 2:30.
* There will be a presentation entitled "Working for the Father: Lincoln’s Hired Help and Faith Communities" at the Lincoln Home at 1. It is free.

Sunday, February 14th:
* There will be a presentation at the Hilton entitled Emancipation and the Dream of Freedom: From Slavery to the White House at 1.

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