Must A President Be A Techie?

This week's issue of Newsweek contains an op-ed piece from resident writer Anna Quindlen about the need (in her opinion) for our nation's president to be technologically literate. In other words, a techie.

She first discusses in her editorial how Abraham Lincoln was a techie himself, at least as much as possible in the 1860's. Quindlen explains how Lincoln made use of that era's "Internet," the telegraph, as a means to communicate with his generals, thus having an advantage over Confederate forces who didn't have as much access to telegraphy. She refers to the recent book "Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails" by Tom Wheeler, in which the author describes how Lincoln pushed for the spread of the new technology across the country in order to achieve much better communication.

Then Ms. Quindlen contrasts Lincoln with John McCain, who freely admits that he's technologically illiterate and has never been online. She equates this with being out of touch and behind the curve in today's world. She makes a point how Al Qaeda is technology savvy and how our next president must be as well. Her arguments are compelling.

However, I'm not so sure I agree, even though I'm a professional techie myself. I don't know that it's necessary for our president to be at ease with computers and other modern technological marvels. It's critical that our spy agencies and defense services use all the technology possible for the nation's homeland defense. And it's crucial that our chief executive be willing to listen to advice from people who are technical experts.

But must a person know how to use email or build a website in order to be our commander-in-chief? An interesting question, but I think the answer is no. What is your opinion?

Lincoln Portrayer Brings Abe To Life

While scanning the news earlier today for articles about Abe, I came across this wonderful story about an Atlantic, Iowa, Abraham Lincoln portrayer. According to the article published in the Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), the gentleman in the photo, Lee Williams, is one of the most renowned Lincoln re-enactors.

Mr. Williams performs his show "Lincoln Live" on a part-time basis and has been at it for more than 20 years. He approximates the genuine article's physical characteristics, coming in a couple of inches shorter and a few pounds heavier, but it's close enough for approximation. He's presented his show all around the United States as well as in Russia and Dubai. Mr. Williams found the children of those two countries to be more knowledgeable about Lincoln than most kids in our country. Sad, but not surprising!

In his long career portraying Abe, Williams has won several competitions for his skills and appearance. He has more than 3 hours of materials he can draw from. I did note that he now has a graying beard, so he should probably being dyeing his so he can more accurately resemble Abe.

I like the photo I've included here. It's obviously taken in a way to simulate an antique photo of the real deal, including some blurriness. Clever.

I have to admit, I've never before seen a Lincoln portrayer in person, but it seems to me that Lee Williams would be a great bet for an entertaining event.

Connecticut Joins The Lincoln Celebrations

Back on June 13, I published a post about Hartford, Connecticut dedicating a sculpture garden to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Now the entire state is going to join in for the celebrations for the bicentennial of his birth.

According to the July 26th edition of the Norwich Bulletin, a 14-member panel has been formed to help Connecticut plan its celebrations. The article describes a visit Lincoln made to Norwich back in March of 1860 to campaign for a friend, William Buckingham, who was running for governor of the state. Lincoln had made previous stops in Hartford and New Haven before arriving in Norwich. Thanks in part to Lincoln's campaigning, his friend won the governorship by 700 votes.

The image I've included in this posting shows a banner which was made in advance of Lincoln's visit. It still exists and is on display in Norwich City Hall. An interesting story from the article details how this banner was long thought to have been lost, until it showed up for auction in 1997 at a New York City auction house. A local Norwich group raised more than $35,000 to buy the banner, bring it back home, and restore it. A good story. The banner is lovely.

The other items in the image are of course the famous 1863 photo of Lincoln. The other small photo is of the hotel where Lincoln gave a speech while in Norwich.

Another Hunt For Abe On eBay

It's time for another stroll through eBay, looking for Lincolnania. As always, there are currently thousands of items related to Mr. Lincoln on eBay, ranging from the cheap to phenomenally expensive; from the tacky to the items which could be considered American treasures. Let's see what's out there right now.

• The above image shows one of the items which could be an American treasure. This item is one of the more famous and lovely Lincoln photos, taken in approximately 1858, by an unknown photographer. It happens to be an original albumen print and is signed by the man himself. This is how Lincoln appeared at the time of the famous debates with Stephen Douglas. From time to time, Lincoln would autograph these prints for friends or VIP's. Starting price on this item is a cool $150,000! Don't think I'll be selling my house in order to buy it.

• A unique 2008 Topps Allen and Ginter baseball card featuring a single strand of Abe's hair. This item is from the "World's Champions" baseball card collection put out by Topps to commemorate famous people. Comes with a letter of authenticity and the like. Check it out. Current bid is already $5,100!

• For you ventriloquists out there, this Abe Lincoln dummy could be yours for just $299.99 in a Buy It Now auction. Looks pretty cool, actually, but I can't imagine "Little Abe" reciting the Gettysburg Address. Hand-crafted by the seller.

• A more affordable item is this great-looking motivational poster featuring a portrait of Lincoln, along with a long list of his failures leading up to the presidency. The point is perseverance through life. Current bid is only $10.00.

• An 1860 edition of a Lincoln biography may be found here. This is a fairly scarce title called "Life and Speeches of Lincoln and Hamlin Wide Awake Edition." There are numerous 1860's bios of Lincoln, but this "Wide Awake" edition is uncommon. This was issued shortly after the Republican convention of 1860, but prior to the election itself. Please note that this is NOT the same as the true first Lincoln biography, the quite rare "Wigwam Edition" in which Lincoln's name is listed as "Abram." Bidding here opens at only $24.99 and there are no bids.

• For the female Lincoln buff in your life, here are some funky Abe earrings. Each earring is a "bust" of Lincoln, complete with a top hat. No bids and a steal at only $2.99 at this point.

• A carte-de-visite depicting a scene of what life in the Lincoln home might have looked like. The scene is an artist's rendering. The Lincoln figure reading to his son Tad is based on a famous photo by Matthew Brady. The figure of Robert Lincoln is also based on a photo. But the Mary Todd Lincoln and Willie figures seem to be from imagination. No bids and begins under $10.

• A fairly rare political ribbon from the election of 1856, when Lincoln was the vice-presidential candidate of the newly-formed Republican party. John C. Fremont was the first presidential candidate of the party. The ribbon simply says "Fremont and Lincoln" but is still kind of interesting. I've not seen one of these before.

• Finally, Lincoln centennial items from 1909 are coming out of the woodwork right now. You can find postcards, books, presidential medals and so on with 1809-1909 on them. Here's a Harper's Weekly from February 1909, a postcard, and a beautiful medal struck for the Grand Army Of The Republic (the Union Veteran's organization) to celebrate the Lincoln centennial.

As always, happy hunting!

National Portrait Gallery To Stage Lincoln Exhibit

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. will stage a new exhibition beginning November 7, 2008 titled "One Life: The Mask Of Lincoln." The purpose of the exhibition is to explore how Lincoln crafted his public persona through the use of images.

The exhibition will feature approximately 30 images, all owned by the Gallery. Included in the exhibition are the famous 1865 "cracked plate" (shown to the left) photograph taken by Alexander Gardner; the 1857 "tousled hair" portrait by an unknown photographer; and the Matthew Brady "Cooper Union" photo, which Lincoln himself considered to be the image which made him president. Additional images include sketches and prints. For more information on the "cracked plate" image, long thought to the be last photo of Lincoln (but not), click here for a description from the Gallery.

The exhibition will run through July 5, 2009. This site from Artdaily.org contains more information about the show.

Knox College Will Host Annual Lincoln Colloquium

Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois is preparing to host the 23rd Annual Lincoln Colloquium on October 11, 2008. Leading Lincoln and Civil War scholars such as Allen Guelzo, James McPherson, Rodney Davis, Garry Wills, and Douglas Wilson will be presenting lectures at the colloquium. Another part of the colloquium will be an exhibit of Lincoln artifacts by collectors and organizations.

This year marks the sesqui-centennial of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, one of which took place on the campus of Knox College. It's "Old Main" building is the only surviving structure from the debate sites.

For more information, including the lectures which will be presented by the scholars, more information may be found here.

Update: Lincoln Statue Brings $9,000

Back on July 7, I posted a story about an auction coming up in southeastern Ohio in which 62 acres of land plus various statues of U.S. presidents and military leaders were going to be sold.

The auction was held on Saturday July 19, in Frazeysburg, Ohio. The sandstone statue of Abraham Lincoln brought an impressive $9,000, but the most expensive statue (of U.S. Grant) went for a cool $35,000! The same gentleman purchased those two statutes, plus a statue of James B. McPherson (a Union Civil War general) for another $8,500. They are destined for the purchasers' property in Oxford, Ohio.

This article from the Coshocton Tribune (Ohio) contains more details about the auction turnout and results.