A Few Appropriate Remarks

Marvel Comics: Gettysburg Distress

Marvel Comics released a free digital comic book on President's Day called Gettysburg Distress. Click the "Open" graphic on the Marvel site to view the comic.

In this short bit of a booklet, Captain America tells Spider-Man how he traveled back in time to witness Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

This isn't available as a download, but the Marvel comic viewer works pretty well. Every now and then, it may ask you to sign up. But this comic is free, so no need to sign up. Just refresh the page and all should be well again.

Lincoln White House Dishes

A plate from the original White House dishes purchased by Mary Lincoln and used in the Lincoln Administration recently sold at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati for $14,100. The Hartford Courant reports (February 20, 2009) the plate brought in a handsome price even though it was chipped. Authentic White House plates usually bring $4,000 to $6,000.

The pattern was from E.V. Haughwout and Company, modified by Mary, who changed the border from blue to the fashion rage of the period: a purple-red color called "solferino."

The same pattern was ordered several times in later years when new dishes were needed. The Hartford Courant says this is why some of the dishes are unmarked, some are marked "Fabrique par Haviland & Co. pour J.W. Boteler & Bro., Washington," and some are marked "Theo Haviland, Limoges, France, J.W. Boteler & Son, Washington, D. C."

Lincoln Docs coming to Smithsonian Exhibit

The Edward Everett copy of the Gettysburg Address, a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, and other docs will be on exhibit when "America's New Birth of Freedom" opens at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in January 2009.

That's the scoop I just read in the Spring 2008 issue of "Four Score and Seven," published by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. I couldn't find anything about it on the Smithsonian MoAH site.

Wow, how did he make that portrait out of pennies?

Fanpop.com has this great time-lapsed video showing a guy making a portrait of Lincoln out of pennies. Sorting 1700 pennies by color took about seven hours, and putting them together in awesome fashion took nearly six hours. Check it out here. It takes under a minute to view it, and it's worth every penny of your time, and then some!

Reboot

Third time is a charm. This blog for Everything Lincoln started in 2005, but two blogging products later...gone! Starting with number 3 now. I'm actually paying for this one (!), so hopefully I'll be happier with it. Hope you like it, too.