Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Owes Big $$$

[L Verge]

(11-22-2018 08:32 AM)davg2000 Wrote:  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.