I realize today's PR didn't seem like much, but it is on the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. I'm sure the museums who show old documents look to one another for how best to preserve these precious documents.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library made a state touting the benefit of smart glass.
In previous years, the document was displayed for only 10 days to limit its exposure to light. This year, thanks to new protective technology, it can remain on view much longer. The museum’s new smart-glass display case can shift from clear to opaque in seconds when no one is looking at the fragile document, dramatically reducing light exposure. That means the unique Lincoln document can remain on display longer while ensuring it is preserved for generations to come.
The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches ever given. Its stirring prose and historic impact have been studied by everyone from schoolchildren to scholars.
Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of a national cemetery for the thousands of Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. It opens with the famous phrase “Four score and seven years ago” and finishes by describing the Civil War as a battle to preserve government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Only five handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address still exist. In addition to the ALPLM’s copy, one is in the White House, one is at Cornell University and two are at the Library of Congress. Those institutions rarely exhibit their copies to the general public. The ALPLM, however, displays its copy each year around the anniversary of Lincoln delivering the speech.
ND |
