Lincoln Statue That Was Abruptly Removed Is Back on Display
(TheRedWire.com) – A bust of President Abraham Lincoln debuted at Cornell University’s Uris Library in 1891. The ivy league school boasts an impressive collection of Lincoln’s artifacts. Among them are five copies of the Gettysburg Address written by the president’s hand, 14 copies of the 13th Amendment with the signatures of the 16th president and members of Congress, a statue of the iconic figure, and a unique sculptured portrait.
In 2013, the artifact of “Old Abe” debuted again at the higher learning institution’s Kroch Library. In spring 2022, school officials removed it. Associate professor of biology at Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science, Randy Wayne, fought against the decision, saying the school removed it due to cancel culture. Now, the school has suddenly put the abruptly removed statue back on display.
Library Puts Lincoln Bust Back on Display
School officials said the relic was part of a temporary exhibit to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address in 2013, and curators returned it to storage. The iconic image of Lincoln is full of history. Just before his assassination in 1865, he allowed teenage female sculptor Vinnie Ream to create the bust. Wayne said the sculptor intended to capture the “weight of the war” and the president’s “resolve” on his face. Scholars believe it was the last artwork of the president before his assassination.
Ream was the first woman and youngest artist the federal government ever commissioned to create a statue — the Capitol Building rotunda currently houses the artwork. Ezra Cornell, the university’s founder, purchased the sculptured portrait and donated it to the campus.
Earlier in November, the school put it back on display in Uris Library, the site of its original exhibit in 1891.
Librarian Explains Why Cornell Re-Introduced Lincoln’s Bust
Carl A. Korch University Librarian Elaine Westbrooks provided a statement to Fox News Digital. She said after the school placed the sculpture in storage, the questions that followed about the move led to “thoughtful conversation among library staff.” Westbrooks stated that significant interest in the artifact led her to make plans to make it available again for public viewing.
On Thursday, November 17, Wayne told the College Fix the decision thrilled him. The professor stated the bust would also be in a more highly trafficked area than before, giving it even more visibility. He noted that Lincoln was one of America’s greatest presidents, freedom fighters, and English language writers of all time. The professor said alums and donors of the school made the difference in the decision and noted they didn’t want cancel culture to ruin their grandchildren’s education.
Copyright 2022, TheRedWire.com
