Someone Has Stolen Lincoln's Hand

[RJNorton]

http://www.newser.com/story/218442/someo...-hand.html

[Thomas Kearney]

I bet they will need a lot of hands to find it. Sorry, bad pun. I couldn't resist.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Why atypical? Sad as it is it seems a typical arts theftry to me - for or by someone who simply wants to possess it and keep it in his vault, not to sell on any market.

[LincolnMan]

Eva: thats what I was thinking. How could an item like that be sellable? Could it be?

[Eva Elisabeth]

I guess most of these artworks were stolen because someone was obsessed to simply possess a certain one and either hired a thief or DIY:
http://www.artloss.com/en

[Rob Wick]

Barnard (1863-1938), was a devoted fan of Lincoln and even planned on sculpting a giant statue of the president. The project was abandoned around the start of the Great Depression. The hands were curiously described by police as being the size of an 8 to 10 pound ham.

The author of the article obviously doesn't know much about George Grey Barnard.

I do like the reference to the 8 to 10 pound ham, however. Ida Tarbell defended Barnard's work as being closer to who Lincoln actually was than many statues in existence.

Best
Rob

[Eva Elisabeth]

Like the ham reference, too (as every illustrating comparison). Reminds me of a story I am so sure to have read but never found again when searching for - it (supposedly) was the account of either a general or someone like Lamon, who happened to be present when President Lincoln received a suspicious, heavy, huge package that was finally opened with great care (and fear), and inside turned out to be a ham. Does anyone know? (If not I probably shall quote a well-known historian: "If it didn't happen that way it should have!")

[Anita]

Rob, thanks for the link to George Grey Barnard. It's a great statue of Lincoln as is the story behind it.

I wonder if the original molds of the hands still exist.

[RJNorton]

Museum seeks donations for cameras after Lincoln theft

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016...lincoln-t/

[Anita]

Thanks Roger. Taking steps to prevent future thefts is better late than going without security. Many underfunded local museums and historic sites don't have the resources for adequate security. Glad to see an anonymous donor is helping out.