Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A new part of an ongoing exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) has been revealed, and it’s an item not seen publicly in fifteen years.
According to a news release, it’s a dress word by Mary Lincoln — one of few surviving dresses the wife of the sixteenth President wore. It’s known as the “strawberry dress” because of its pattern of berries and leaves. it was donated to the State of Illinois by relatives of Mary Lincoln in 1963, Like many other artifacts, it’s not often put on display because of how fragile it is. It was last seen in 2011.
“Clothing is so personal,” said Christina Shutt, ALPLM Executive Director, in a news release. “It connects us to people of the past in a way few other objects can, and it reveals so much about the wearer’s taste and personality. Mary Lincoln was a fascinating and complex person, and I hope seeing this dress helps people take a few minutes to learn more about her.”
The dress is on display as part of the “Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation” exhibit, which is displaying the museum’s “most treasured artifacts and documents to explore Lincoln’s life, the impact he had on others, and the ways they in turn influenced him. The dress will be on display until April 26 — the final day the exhibit will be open.
