Gettysburg Address 162nd Anniversary on the Ridge
- Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center111 Seminary RidgeGettysburg, PA, 17325
Ethan Afshani
Through the Eyes of Abraham Lincoln:
How Authenticating His Eyeglasses Revealed
a Hidden Struggle with Strabismus
3:30pm - Over the past 160 years, the collectability of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia has earned prominence within the vast collecting sphere of Americana, coining the phrase "Lincolniana." Authentic artifacts from the 1930s through the 1980s often originated through the unassuming gentleman farmer, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, a man whose most notable claim to the legacy is the blood he shares as Lincoln’s great-grandson.
In this presentation, the complex provenance of one of Lincoln's most intimate artifacts, his eyeglasses, will be brought to light. This critical authentication research additionally presents us with a major discovery: scientific evidence of Lincoln’s hidden struggle with vertical strabismus (left superior oblique paresis), offering new, medically-grounded insights into the 16th President's health.
Ethan Afshani is a historical consultant and author specializing in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War-era. He is the co-editor of AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG BY PARTICIPANT JULY 1863. The Civil War Diary of Lt. Henry J. Waltz, and has written for The Lincoln Forum Bulletin, including The Lincoln Chairs. His research article A New Discovery About Lincoln’s Ocular Health presents new insights into Lincoln’s medical history.
- FREE with Museum Admission -
Lydia Ziegler Clare Education Center
Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center
Chuck Johnson
The Night Before Gettysburg
6:30pm – “The Night Before Gettysburg” is a 1-man, 3-scene, 1-act play, in which Abraham Lincoln finishes writing the Gettysburg Address in his bedroom the night before the speech. In Scene 1, Lincoln speaks directly to the audience, explaining events that led to the Battle of Gettysburg. Scene 2 takes place in his bedroom as he finishes the speech. He is torn as he grapples with slavery, racism, war carnage, and the deaths of two of his children; here, he recounts the battle as told to him by General Meade. Scene 3 follows with Lincoln’s presentation of the Gettysburg Address.
35-minute live performances are followed by an opportunity for Q&A.
SRMEC Members $5 / Non-Members $10
Click Here to Register
He’s “torn asunder” as he works on the speech. Racism, slavery, war carnage and the deaths of two of his children tear at his soul.
“The Night Before Gettysburg” takes you inside Abraham Lincoln, as he asks himself “What is slavery? Why is slavery? Why are men enslaved.” As he answers those questions, you see Lincoln the man, who he was, what he stood for and the burdens he carried.
–Chuck Johnson
Events — Seminary Ridge Museum
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