The Chicago Lincoln facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Chicago Lincoln |
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| 'Beardless Lincoln' | |
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| Artist | Avard Fairbanks |
| Year | 1956 |
| Medium | Bronze sculpture with a polished pink granite base |
| Dimensions | 400 cm × 150 cm × 170 cm (156 in × 58 in × 68 in) |
| Location | Lincoln Square, Chicago |
| 41°58′08″N 87°41′19″W / 41.968756°N 87.688666°W | |
The Chicago Lincoln is a cool statue of a young Abraham Lincoln without his famous beard. You can find it in Lincoln Square, Chicago. This statue was created by sculptor Avard Fairbanks, based on a design by Lloyd Ostendorf. It was put up on October 16, 1956.
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What Does the Statue Look Like?
This statue shows Abraham Lincoln as he looked when he visited Chicago. He came for important speeches and meetings, like when he met his Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, to plan his team of advisors, called the Cabinet.
The statue is meant to represent liberty, which means freedom. Lincoln is holding some books and his tall stovepipe hat in his left hand. His right hand is resting on a podium, which is like a stand for speaking.
On the front of the statue's base, there's a special message from Lincoln:
| FREE SOCIETY IS NOT, AND |
| SHALL NOT BE A FAILURE. |
| Abraham Lincoln |
| Chicago Dec. 10, 1856 |
The statue is made of bronze and is larger than life! It stands about 7 feet 6 inches (229 cm) tall. Abraham Lincoln himself was about 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall.
How the Statue Came to Be
The idea for this statue started in 1951 with a city leader named John Hoellen. He wanted to create a memorial for Abraham Lincoln. This idea became a bill, which is a proposed law, and was signed by the Governor William Stratton.
A special committee was formed to plan the statue. They decided to hold a contest across the country! People could send in their ideas and designs. Lloyd Ostendorf, who collected many images of Lincoln, won the contest. He received $500 for his drawing of Lincoln without a beard, standing up.
The famous sculptor Avard Fairbanks then created the statue based on Ostendorf's design. It cost $35,000 to make.
Where the Statue Has Been
The statue was first placed in the middle of a busy intersection in Chicago. This spot was where Lincoln, Lawrence, and Western Avenues all met. Because of the heavy traffic, this intersection became one of the most dangerous in Chicago.
To make things safer, the statue was moved in 1978 or 1979. It's now about 50 feet east of its original spot. You can find it in front of a local Walgreens store, still in the Lincoln Square area.
In 1992, experts from the Smithsonian Institution said the statue needed urgent care. It was later cleaned and fixed up in 1996. This restoration celebrated the 40th anniversary of the statue's first public display.
How the Statue Was Built
Avard Fairbanks, the sculptor, explained how he created the statue. First, he made a small sketch and then a tiny clay model. After that, he started on the full-size statue. The clay he used for the final statue came from Illinois.
To keep the large statue standing while he worked, Fairbanks built a strong frame inside it. This frame, called an armature, was made of wood, wire mesh, and an iron rod. The podium, or speaker's stand, in the statue was designed after Fairbanks looked at many old photographs of Lincoln from his presidential campaign.
