The Memorial to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was constructed as a monumental commemoration of the sixteenth President, who saw the nation through a divisive war and preserved the union. While the statue contained within is one of the best known public sculptures in the United States, the prominent setting and classical-revival design of the building have combined to produce an American icon, the location of celebrations and demonstrations.

The site, on axis with the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, was first identified in 1901. Built on landfill dredged from the Potomac River, the Memorial was intended to counterbalance the Capitol with a form distinct from both it and the Washington Monument. Henry Bacon's design was selected and as completed, the Lincoln Memorial takes the form of a Greek temple with a peripeteral doric order, oriented so that it is on the long side. Bacon incorporated four significant elements in his design: A statue of Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second inaugural address carved in stone, and a symbol of the Union of the United States.

The Memorial measures 204' x 134' and its walls and 44' columns are tilted inward, and arranged closer together towards the ends to enhance perspective distortion. There are thirty-six columns representing each state that was in the Union at the time.

Daniel Chester French was chosen to design the figure of Lincoln within. French's 19' high statue of Lincoln is the focus of the building and the culmination of the axis from the Capital. The statue depicts him seated in repose, his strength and intensity evoked by the face and hands. It is an acknowledged masterpiece of American sculpture.

Ground was broken on Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1914. Directly East of the Memorial a 3,600' long canal was planned and constructed. After several structural delays, the Memorial was dedicated May 30, 1922.

Charles Moore, Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, noted in 1922: "The Lincoln Memorial ranks... among the world's supreme works of enduring art...it appeals to the highest and deepest emotion of patriotism...and takes its place as an expression of the national life of the American people."

Title : Lincoln Memorial, West Potomac Park, District of Columbia

Medium : Measured drawings

Created/Published : 1993

Creator : National Park Service

Frame : Bright black metal, Size : 23 1/4 x 29 1/2

Part of the Historic American Building Survey housed in the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

Price: $130.00

Availability: Usually ships in one week

Product #: FR0058