Abraham Lincoln has captivated people’s imaginations since before his presidency. Whether they idolized him or reviled him, people have created items — works of art or other tangible works to portray him.
Michael Fowler, professor of design and the holder of the Mary Durban Toole Chair of Art at the University of South Carolina Aiken, addresses Lincoln through the lens of art and material culture in his book, “Calling the Fleeting Breath.” He will give an author talk at the Reading Between the Wines from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 6 at the Book Tavern.
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Fowler’s interest was sparked from an item cut from his grandmother’s scrapbook.
“It was a Union ticket for Lincoln and Johnson’s second term. It came from the California state elections,” he said.
It was a tangible piece of history to him. It made the event come alive.
Fowler has spent more than 20 years working on the project. In 2003, he received a grant and traveled the country. His research has spanned numerous states. He’s visited Lincoln museums and spoken with Lincoln scholars.
Fowler wondered about other pieces of “material culture” such as metal coins which were handed out during the election. These coins had Lincoln’s portrait on one side and an image of him chopping wood on the other.
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People could keep these items in their pockets and remember Lincoln.
Lincoln has been portrayed through art, photographs and sculpture over the years as well, he said.
Some of the pictures revere Lincoln as the “Great Emancipator,” while others are disparaging, including caricatures of him in blackface and playing in a minstrel show. Other unusual images are of Lincoln reenactors, one of whom has a vehicle that looks like a log cabin.
They run the gamut, and Fowler has learned there’s no consensus when it comes to Lincoln’s legacy.
There’s as much a divide today as there was 170 years ago, he said.
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Fowler’s book brings these images together in two-page spreads featuring comparison and contrast, while weaving in historical context.
“Most art books that have been published are in black and white,” he said. “This is in color.”
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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