Abraham Lincoln

Object NameBust

Manufacturer Gillinder & Sons (American (Philadelphia, PA; Greensburg, PA), 1861 - 1891)

Date1876

MediumNon-flint clear frosted pressed glass

Dimensions6 x 3 5/16 x 3 1/2 in. (15.2 x 8.5 x 8.9 cm)

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass

Credit LineGift of Quester Chapter Godey Ladies #412 on occasion of their 40th anniversary. In the Iowa Quester Glass Collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2010.83

Status

On view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextThe assassination of a United States president is seen as an unthinkable occurrence today, however to the people of the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, it was a grim reality woven into the fabric of political life. In less than fifty years, three presidents were struck down by assassin’s bullet, each death shaking the nation. Lincoln was murdered by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth just days after the Civil War ended. Garfield was shot by a disgruntled office seeker, Charles J. Guiteau, at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. In both Garfield’s and McKinley’s cases, the bullets were not immediately fatal. Instead, both presidents succumbed to infections due to unsanitary medical treatment, a reflection of the limited medical knowledge of the time, and a factor that made their deaths all the more tragic. These assassinations sparked widespread national mourning. In the years that followed, each president was memorialized as a fallen hero, their deaths symbolizing sacrifice, unity, and the ongoing struggle to build a better America. Their tragic ends became defining moments in U.S. history, shaping public memory and the presidency itself. https://fords.org/lincolns-assassination/ https://www.facs.org/media/g1qn0eja/03_james_garfield.pdf https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-william-mckinley-assassination

Locations