On the morning of April 15, 1865, the day Abraham Lincoln died, someone emptied his pockets. These contents were put in a box which was then wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. The box was then handed to Abraham’s oldest son Robert Lincoln who was at his father’s deathbed. Robert Lincoln then passed the box on to his daughter, Mary Lincoln Isham, who donated the box to the Library of Congress in 1937. Labeled “Do Not Open,” the mystery box was tucked away in a vault in the Librarian’s office and forgotten for almost four decades.
Finally, in 1975, then Librarian of Congress Daniel J. Boorstin decided to open the box. With staff looking on in eager anticipation, Boorstin untied the string, tore off the brown paper, and opened the box.
The night Lincoln was murdered at Ford’s Theatre, he was carrying:
These artifacts were put on display at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C, in 1976, the year of our nation’s 200th birthday and are still on view today. Though only everyday items, the contents of Lincoln’s pockets are among the items visitors to the Library most often ask to see.
Here’s a close-up of Lincoln’s reading glasses, broken at the left hinge and mended with a bit of string. Frugal Abe wore rickety reading glasses while, in contrast, extravagant Mary had a collection of 300 pairs of gloves.
(1) Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. (New York: Clarion Books, 1987)
(2) Fleming, Candace. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. (New York: Random House, Inc., 2008)
Maybe Lincoln was so busy keeping our Union together, he hadn’t time to have the glasses fixed. It was a problem so miniscule compared to the others he faced. I know he also always thought about all of the soldiers, and his broken glasses probably seemed like no big deal compared to a soldier’s death or injury. Fascinating post!
Jennifer
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Lincoln was often criticized for his unkempt appearance. His mind was on more important things than dress, thank the Lord.
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Though nothing in his pockets was particularly exciting, I did have a morbid curiosity as soon as I saw the headline for this post. Perhaps it’s a bit like celebrity gossip… Is this the 19th-century equivalent of TMZ?
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If we had seen Lincoln on film or TV, we might not feel such a desire to touch his memory as often as we do. He has reached a mythological status. Librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin thought that displaying these everyday items belonging to Lincoln might diminish some of the myth and restore more of the man. I was intrigued by the eyeglasses mended with twine – so Lincoln. Also, those newspaper clippings – a bit of vanity – all of them praising him. It must have been hard for him to keep steering the ship of state when all around him people criticized him and threatened his life. I guess he took out those clippings and read them when his spirits were at a low ebb.
Yes, a little TMZ and eavesdropping – there’s precious little in life than beats the thrill of peering into other people’s lives, is there?!!!
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I can’t criticize Lincoln for the clippings. At a previous job, I actually had a file known as the “smile file,” which included thank-you letters, friendly cards, and success stories which I drew from whenever I was having a rough day.
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I keep nice old stationery boxes and stuff them with people’s letters to me complimenting me on my books. Whenever I doubt my ability to write, I take out the boxes and read a few positive words then I’m fine again. So you’re not the only one who does it!
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The $5 Confederate note found in Lincoln’s pocket was a note of the issue of February 17, 1864. The portrait is NOT of Jefferson Davis, but instead of Confederate Vice President Memminger and a vignette of the Confederate Capitol at Richmond.
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Hi, Mark. What is your source for this new info?
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The lens cleaner is the circular thin that is attatched with leather above the wath fob. I was at the library of congress and took a tour and the lady said that was what it was 🙂
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Does anyone know the serial number on the bill?
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