Finding Abe
21st-Century Abe was active February 12, 2009-August 31, 2009.
To mark Lincoln’s 200th birthday we explored why we in the 21st century are still obsessed with this 19th-century man. Abe is everywhere, from advertising to political punditry. What does this popular Abe have to do with the historical Abe? 21st-Century Abe took six months to tackle these questions. We asked scholars and artists to get the ball rolling, but visitor responses have defined 21st-Century Abe.
To find out about our current projects, check out www.Rosenbach.org.
Blog
The 21st-Century Abe blog is the place to find out what’s been happening on 21stcenturyabe.org and what fun, exciting or downright ridiculous things the curatorial team have discovered in their search for Lincoln.
The blog is no longer being updated. But please check out our older posts.
- So Long and Thanks for All the Lincoln
- One for the Record Books
- Lincoln Media by the Numbers
- Lincoln on Flickr
- Document of the Week: Final Installment
Our Funders
This project has been funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Heritage Philadelphia Program with additional support from the Marketing Innovation Program. Additional support has come from the Samuel S. Fels Fund and The Raab Collection.
Endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
Endorsed by the Pennsylvania Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
Found Abe
As of September 1, 2009, this site has been archived and is no longer accepting new submissions. But please check out what others have submitted:
Participate
Create
Don’t sit back and let other folks have all the fun—it’s time for you to find your own Abe!
Design Our Poster
Design your own poster to show what Abe means in the modern world.
Be A Pundit
What if CNN had covered Lincoln’s funeral? Or The Onion had lampooned the Baltimore Address. Here’s your chance to (re)write history.
Add Your Own Creation
As of September 1, 2009, this site has been archived and is no longer accepting new submissions. But please enjoy the existing site content.
Project Artists
We are joined by visual artist Maira Kalman, composer and rock musician Bryce Dessner, and media artists Archive. They have visited with us at the Rosenbach, pored over the documents and found their own vision of the 21st Century Abe story.
Bryce Dessner
Bryce Dessner offers up “The Lincoln Shuffle,” a series of short musical compositions.
1812 Productions
1812 Productions presents “Abe Lincoln: Behind the Speeches” — a mockumentary about Lincoln and his use of media.
Explore Our Documents
21st-Century Abe is centered on thirty Lincoln documents, ranging from Lincoln’s explanation of his family history to the manuscript of the Baltimore Address. They touch on Lincoln’s views on race, his patterns of thought and rhetoric, and his role as a celebrity.
Learn MoreThe opinions stated throughout this web site by artists, scholars, and other contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Rosenbach Museum & Library, its staff and trustees, or the funders of this project.
Rosenbach Museum & Library
2008-2010 Delancy Place · Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.732.1600 · abe@rosenbach.org