SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – For years, librarians at a small central Illinois library gossiped that a tattered book lying on one of its shelves justifying racism may have been in the hands of none other than Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator. On Tuesday, state historians confirmed that theory by announcing Lincolns handwriting had been found inside the cover of the 700-page text. Like so many other supposed Lincoln artifacts discovered in places the former president frequented, the authenticity of the inscription remained in question for years, until a new library director decided to have it inspected by experts at the state historical museum this summer. We didnt know whether we should take it seriously, Vespasian Warner Public Library Assistant Director Bobbi Perryman said. But shortly after the 700-page book arrived at the Lincoln Library and Museum, Cornelius made a swift assessment by looking at handwriting and spacing between letters, one that was quickly backed up by other experts on staff, as well as an outside expert the museum asked to inspect the book. There are certain letters of the alphabet that Lincoln wrote in a way that were not common to his era, Cornelius said, referencing Lincolns style of writing Es and Ns. A forger can typically do some of the letters in a good Lincolnian way. Theyll give themselves away on a couple of the others. This all adds up. Types of Mankind was published in 1854 and circulated for decades by the Vespasian Warner Library in Clinton, about 50 miles northeast of the state Capitol in Springfield. Local attorney Clifton Moore, a colleague of Lincolns, had donated thousands of books to the system, which formed the basis of the librarys circulating collection when it opened in the early 1900s. The inscription inside Types of Mankind doesnt bear Lincolns signature — but a note in his handwriting on one of the first pages states that the copy rightfully belongs to Moore. Below that inscription is an attestation by another local attorney noting that Lincoln wrote inside the book in 1861, just before he left for Washington after being elected president. foxnews/us/2014/08/05/abraham-lincoln-handwriting-verified-on-central-illinois-library-book/?intcmp=latestnews
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 21:06:13 +0000
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