Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society, Gift of Charles T. Harbeck

The backdrop for the luncheon will be this painting, chosen for occasion, and borrowed from the New York Historical Society.  The painting, "View of the Yosemite Valley," by Thomas Hill, reflects the majestic landscape of the American West and the dawn of a new era.  The subject of the painting, Yosemite Valley, represents an important but often overlooked event from Lincoln's presidency—his signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant, which set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve.