Lincoln Museum offers tactile experience for the blind, plus a rare 21-star flag
A close-up view of the museum's recently acquired 21-star flag, from 1819, shortly after Illinois had become a state. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
On a recent visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, director Christina Shutt took us through three exhibits: one previewing the museum’s 20th anniversary celebration, another on a rare 21-star flag from when Illinois had just become the 21st state, and the third on a special exhibit aimed at making Lincoln more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
That exhibit is called Lincoln: Sight, Sound & Touch. It features replicas of some of the artifacts in the museum’s collection, like a casting of Lincoln’s face and hands made just after his death, and a leather briefcase he used while president. It also seeks to render two-dimensional objects in 3-D, including a copy of the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln’s own handwriting that’s been made into a tactile experience.
Guest
Christina Shutt
Executive director, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
