HUBBARD DONATES RARE DOCUMENTS TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

August 20, 2008 - Harrogate, Tennessee–The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum (ALLM) announces the acquisition of a portfolio of rare original documents from the Civil War. Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) History Professor and Abraham Lincoln Historian Dr. Charles Hubbard presented the portfolio to museum and university officials this week. A number of the documents were presented as a gift to be added to the ALLM collections while others will remain on loan with the collection indefinitely.

“We are pleased and delighted to receive such a very rare and valuable piece of the history of the Confederacy and the Civil War,” said Jerry Zillion, LMU trustee and chair of the board’s ALLM committee. “LMU has carved out a niche as preservationists of history. Our goal is always to preserve for future generations the archives of our great country.”

This portfolio is the most significant contribution to the ALLM in years. Included in the portfolio are rare original documents from the Confederate States of America (CSA) along with some correspondence from the British Minister Lord Lyons related to the blockade of southern ports. Additionally, there are bonds, ledgers and receipts from the CSA.

“The significance of this material is the story it tells and the proof it offers. The ledgers and receipts show the methods used to finance the Confederate effort both at home and abroad,” Hubbard said. “I can think of no better home for this portfolio than in this collection.”

The Museum plans to exhibit some of the extraordinary material in the coming months. In the meantime, the ALLM will unveil the fifth installment of its temporary exhibits entitled: Lincoln In Memory: The 16th President as National Icon in October. The exhibit examines how the image, words and character of Abraham Lincoln have become an integral part of mass marketing, propaganda and entertainment. The wide variety of Lincolniana includes silverware, medals, pins, bookends, candy boxes and glassware—all attempts to either honor Lincoln or make a dollar from his memory. The exhibit will also feature movie stills, movie posters, and television scripts that feature Lincoln as a central character.

The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum is located on the historic campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Housing one of the top five Lincoln and Civil War private collections in the world, the Museum is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 4pm, Saturday from 11am to 4pm and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. For more information about this and other programs at the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum, call 423-869-6235.


CAPTION: LMU Vice President for University Advancement Cynthia Whitt, Lincoln Historian Charles Hubbard, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Evelyn Smith and Museum Director Thomas Mackie examine the portfolio of rare Civil War documents Hubbard presented to the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum.

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