Happy Birthday Mr. President!

McGill University Library celebrates the Lincoln bicentennial with a captivating Lincolniana exhibit

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States , who abolished slavery and promoted national healing and unity, has become the object of rekindled interest following the election of Barack Obama, who often refers to, and is often compared to, the iconic emancipator. Those looking to feed their curiosity about the man many consider to be the greatest American president are invited to visit the McGill University Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections, which is celebrating the 200 th anniversary of Lincoln ’s birth with an exhibition of selected pieces from its eclectic Joseph N. Nathanson Collection of Lincolniana.

What: The Joseph N. Nathanson Collection of Lincolniana

Why: In celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12, 1809)

When: January 20 to March 31, 2009

Where: Rare Books and Special Collections Lobby, McLennan Library Building , 4 th Floor, 3459 McTavish.

Among the items on display are several from the pre-presidential years, including what is thought to be the earliest portrait of Lincoln , from 1846. The exhibit also features various photographs of Lincoln , his cabinet and family, as well as items of realia including busts, bookends, plaques and china.

The Joseph N. Nathanson Collection of Lincolniana is considered one of the most unusual research collections housed at the McGill Library. In 1986, Dr. Joseph N. Nathanson (1895-1989) donated to McGill, his alma mater, the contents of his assorted Lincoln collection. For almost 50 years, Dr. Nathanson avidly collected Lincolniana from his home in Manhattan, NY, where he taught at Cornell University’s school of medicine. The collection is composed of approximately 4,000 items including books, pamphlets, prints, manuscripts, ephemera and realia.

On the web: https://www.mcgill.ca/library-about/events/