Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Owes Big $$$

[davg2000]

James Cornelius’s dismissal, Volunteers were told last week, was not tied to any of this, despite how it may appear. Apparently dismissing anyone from the service of the State of Illinois is a protracted process, which for Doctor Cornelius began several months ago.

What people are told and what is the truth are sometimes entirely different things.

Absolutely true. Perhaps it is the way we were told, but, oh, does this look bad!

[RJNorton]

https://www.wjol.com/illinois-lawmakers-...ncoln-hat/

[David Lockmiller]

https://www.wjol.com/illinois-lawmakers-...ncoln-hat/

"Lawmakers say foundation leaders knew that hat’s lineage is in doubt, but never told anyone, even as they asked for 10-million-dollars in taxpayer support to pay off a loan on the hat."

[Gene C]

From the Illinois Times, November 15th - Questions Not Limited To Hat

https://illinoistimes.com/article-20634-...o-hat.html

[davg2000]

One thing I'd really like to know is why Louise Taper bought that hat. She had a huge collection of Lincolniana, and I'd love to find out why she thought the hat was genuine. If she's said anything throughout all of this, I haven't heard it.

[ReignetteC]

"Lincoln Museum Officials Enlist Phony Abe to Address Phony Hat Worries":https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/abraham-lincoln-museum-stovepipe-hat-impersonator-artifacts-springfield/

[L Verge]

One thing I'd really like to know is why Louise Taper bought that hat. She had a huge collection of Lincolniana, and I'd love to find out why she thought the hat was genuine. If she's said anything throughout all of this, I haven't heard it.

I have wondered much the same thing about the provenance that was provided Louise years ago that convinced her to add the hat to her collection. I have not been in touch with her since the death of her husband and her remarriage, but Louise is a lovely lady who deeply cared for her collection and, I'm sure, would have had a lot of advisers when acquiring Lincoln-related artifacts.

There would have to be substantial accession records kept by her staff before the sale to ALPLM, if for no other reason than insurance purposes -- which had to be exorbitant. Those same records would surely have been made available to or turned over to the museum. If there was any doubt in Louise's mind as to the authenticity when she purchased it, there would certainly be such a notation in the files.

As to why she has not spoken up, I would guarantee that there is a host of lawyers advising her not to. Accepting things for museum purposes is a very tricky operation unless one has a clear line of evidence from origin of object to final transaction - sort of like the "chain of evidence" that law enforcement talks about.

[davg2000]

I'm sure that is one reason. I do know that James T. Hickey, who was the curator of the Henry Horner Lincoln Collection in years prior to the existence of the ALPLM, owned the hat before Ms. Taper. I have no idea what he paid for it. But one time, before the hat was purchased by the ALPLM, it was on display at the Museum, as a hat owned by Lincoln. Several of us Volunteers were speculating about its cost. One person said that she'd heard that Louise Taper paid $6 million for it. If she had truly paid that sum, then the hat's value improved 250% when it was included among the items purchased from her. Quite a return on an investment.

[RJNorton]

Dave, you once mentioned that the provenance for the bloody gloves was unquestioned. Do you possibly know what the provenance is?

Thanks, Dave, if you know.

There is a video about the bloody gloves here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSdANJr1oDU

[davg2000]

Dave, you once mentioned that the provenance for the bloody gloves was unquestioned. Do you possibly know what the provenance is?

Thanks, Dave, if you know.

There is a video about the bloody gloves here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSdANJr1oDU

Hi, Roger,

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I'm afraid I don't know now the provenance of the gloves, but I do remember Dr. Cornelius telling us once. I'll see what I can find out. I hadn't seen that particular video. I'm still coming to terms with James's leaving.

[RJNorton]

Selling Lincoln-collection items won’t erase museum’s debt

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/abraha...artifacts/

[davg2000]

[quote='RJNorton' pid='74048' dateline='1543007252']
Dave, you once mentioned that the provenance for the bloody gloves was unquestioned. Do you possibly know what the provenance is?

Thanks, Dave, if you know.


Well, something, at long last. Today my supervisor at ALPLM emailed me this, from one of the historians: "Captain Benjamin W. Richardson, an avid a renowned New York collector of presidential items, acquired the gloves in 1868. He displayed them, framed, in his dining room. After his 1889 death, the gloves passed through several owners before being purchased by Louise Taper, who sold them to us." I imagine, as the year plays out, that the provenance will be made clearer. I'm sure that James Cornelius told us more.

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Dave.

[RJNorton]

Lincoln museum in danger of losing ‘extraordinarily important’ artifacts, director says

https://www.pjstar.com/news/20190406/lin...ector-says

[Anita]

When this crisis came to light I believed a few wealthy individuals who cared about Lincoln and history would step forward to cover the debt. That hasn't happened. Now I think there are wealthy collectors and museums that would love to see those "extraordinarily important" artifacts on the auction block. I hope this story has a happy ending.