I'm working with the Illinois governor's mansion folks on their massive renovation and transformation, and had a meeting a couple of days ago with the first lady's staff. The cool thing was a behind-the-scenes tour, and the lifting of the 'no photography' sanction. There is a lot of Lincoln stuff there, because Springfield. Also Robert Todd Lincoln's heirs donated much of it to the mansion. A sampling of interesting items:
A very rare portrait of Abe, one of the few that he actually sat for (most were done from photographs). Obviously pre-White House, early 1850s. Recently insured for a little under $1 million.
The main dining room table, made in the 1820s. Eight (or 18, can't remember) presidents have sat here, from Lincoln to Obama. Sterling punch bowl from the USS Illinois, an Iowa-class battleship that was never completed due to the end of WWII, scrapped completely in the early 50s. Hand-cut 19th century Waterford crystal chandeliers worth God knows how much.
Lincoln sat for this bust just before he left Springfield for DC. The artist added the beard later. Believed to be the only Lincoln bust in which he is smiling a little.
A self-taught woodworker made this game table as a gift to the Lincolns. It has 28,000 separate inlays. For example, there is a ring of 1-inch feathers around the inner-border. Each section of each feather is a distinct piece of wood. The figures, clockwise from top, are Lincoln, Grant, Seward (I think), and Gen Butler. Priceless.
Bonus pic: I have begun my leftist infiltration of the governor's inner circle via his beloved retriever. Look how happy she is to get some attention from a card-carrying union member, for a change (save your jokes about how she's just looking for a hand-out and a break from retriever work, etc).
