Lincoln, 1865 - 2015.

[Donna McCreary]

(03-31-2015 01:59 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  Ah, I see. Well personally I believe Helms and her mother Emilie are incomparable, first-rate sources on their famous kinswoman. Kitty Helm's book was written in the early 1920's or 30's when Mary had been dead for many years. They could have gained nor lost anything by writing "Mary, Wife of Lincoln" except setting the record straight. Mary died estranged from Emilie. Instead of acting as a source for the book, Emilie could have opted to remain silent.

Most of the harshest criticism of MTL in her own time came from her husband's coterie of equally possessive male colleagues and friends. They seemed to resent the amount of influence she had with AL, and her meddling in politics, and her refusal to embrace 100% the place assigned to Victorian females which was hearth and home, like their own wives had done. It does not seem to have occurred to AL's clique that he himself encouraged his wife's input into his career.

Yet, it is the extremely negative memories of AL's MALE friends that has formed the basis of how MTL is viewed to this day, and that is what irritates me so.

Thanks, Donna!

Well, there is one thing that the Helms had to gain by writing the book -- a big fat check from Robert Lincoln. Not only did he financially support the Helm family, he paid Katherine to paint the portrait of Mary that hangs in the White House, and he paid her to write the book. By doing so, he requested, and required, that he be able to read and approve the manuscript before it was sent to the publisher.
They maintained a very close relationship. The Lincolns gave the Helms an annual income in the same amount they gave to their grandchildren.

Even with financial pressure, I do think that Katherine used many primary sources and wrote a decent bio of Mary. It is sugar-coated, and Emilie had very little first hand knowledge for most of the stories. Conversations had to have been added or at least embellished. But overall, it is worth reading.