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Have at least $200,000 lying around? You can buy one of these historic items from the Lincoln Presidential Foundation’s Abraham Lincoln auction. Plus, more stories from WTTW News. |
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A pair of stained leather gloves carried by Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre the night of his assassination on April 14, 1865, will be up for auction. It is estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News) |
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A pair of stained gloves tucked in Abraham Lincoln’s pocket when he was assassinated are among a collection of items owned by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation that will be auctioned off in Chicago today.
The auction house Freeman’s and Hindman will hold the auction, which will be presented both in-person and online, from its Chicago location in the West Loop. The items being auctioned off Wednesday are expected to bring in more than $4 million, according to the auction house.
The “Lincoln’s Legacy” collection up for auction features 144 items chronicling Lincoln’s personal and political life, from manuscripts and artifacts from his time as a lawyer in Illinois to his presidential campaign, leading the country during the Civil War and his ultimate assassination.
Items include:
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A pair of stained leather gloves carried by Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre the night of his assassination on April 14, 1865. Estimate: $800,000 - $1.2 million.
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A double-sided “sum book” page with the earliest known example of Lincoln’s writing from when he was about 15 years old. A short verse reads: “Abraham Lincoln is my name / And with my pen I wrote / the same / I wrote in both hast and speed / and left it here for fools / to read.” Estimate: $300,000 - $400,000.
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A cuff button with the initial ‘L’ removed from Lincoln’s wrist by Dr. Charles Sabin Taft as he searched for the president’s pulse after he was shot. Estimate: $200,000 - $300,000.
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Lincoln’s “Bass-Ackwards” manuscript, a tongue-twister about a fishing expedition gone awry that serves as an example of Lincoln’s frontier humor. Estimate: $200,000 - $300,000.
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The Adams Handbill, Lincoln’s anonymous political handbill that is the only known surviving copy of Lincoln’s first printed work. Estimate: $200,000 - $300,000.
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The Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois) |
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It’s crunch time in Springfield, with the deadline to pass the state budget for next fiscal year less than two weeks away.
Lawmakers are working to hammer out a balanced spending plan amid federal funding uncertainties and mounting pressure from agencies asking for more money. The Illinois General Assembly has a May 31 deadline and has to weigh what to prioritize with limited resources.
The governor’s office is also projecting state revenues to be more than $500 million less than expected in February when he proposed his $55.2 billion budget plan. Several funding sources are coming up short — sales tax income is down $146 million, federal dollars for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements are down $278 million and corporate tax revenue is down $88 million.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) said the state is bearing the brunt of a looming economic downturn brought on by the Trump administration’s financial policies. Republicans, on the other hand, are sounding the alarm on the growing budget deficit and the possibility of taxes going up. State Sen. Don DeWitte (R-West Dundee) said Republicans in Springfield warned Gov. JB Pritzker of potential revenue shortfalls at the beginning of the budget season.
The budget battle comes amid growing federal funding uncertainties as the Trump administration places Illinois and Chicago under national scrutiny for its sanctuary city and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. With ongoing cuts to the Department of Education, Medicaid and Social Security, billions of federal dollars could be in limbo for Illinois for the next fiscal year. |
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The exterior of the newly redesigned Intuit Art Museum has a fresh facade by artist Bob Faust. (Marc Vitali / WTTW News) |
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Intuit Art Museum opens to the public on Friday and WTTW News got an early look inside and out. Since its establishment in 1991, the institution had been known as Intuit: the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art. But now it has a new name, tripled its space (from 6,000 square feet to 18,000) and reinvented itself as a true museum.
“People are pretty blown away by what we did in this space,” president and CEO Debra Kerr told WTTW News, and she wasn’t exaggerating.
The building is completely transformed, and the spark for this transformation was a $5 million community development grant awarded to Intuit in 2022 as part of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago Recovery Plan.
Since it was founded in 1991, Intuit has been a showcase for a diversity of self-taught artists – artists who typically work outside the mainstream and create what is sometimes called “outsider art.”
Complimentary admission to Intuit Art Museum will be offered throughout the Memorial Day weekend, May 23 – 26. |
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More From WTTW News |
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George Wendt, a Chicago-born actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday his administration will not be intimidated by the decision of the U.S. Department of Justice to probe whether he improperly hired city employees because they are Black.
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Northwestern is planning to expand and enhance its Jewish studies and student experience on campus through an anonymous donation, amid ongoing investigations by the Trump Administration into allegations the university engaged in “antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”
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Back in the Day: May 21, 1955 - Chuck Berry Records First Single “Maybellene” For Chess Records in Chicago |
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"Rock & roll guitar starts here," begins a 2004 Rolling Stone article on Chuck Berry's first hit single, "Maybellene." "The pileup of hillbilly country, urban blues and hot jazz in Chuck Berry's electric twang is the primal language of pop-music guitar, and it's all perfected on Berry's first record." On this day 70 years ago, Chuck Berry, then a 28-year-old guitarist and blues singer from St. Louis, recorded the pioneering rock 'n' roll tune in Chicago. Berry had come to Chicago after meeting Muddy Waters, who told him to meet Leonard Chess, the founder of Chess Records. The South Loop record label signed Berry, who would release some of his most iconic songs there. This single, which interpolated an old western swing tune called "Ida Red," eventually sold well over a million copies and paved the way for the rock'n'roll musical revolution. |
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Local Live Music Recommendations for May 21-27 |
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, May 21:
Bartees Strange, Sloppy Jane at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
This D.C.-based indie rocker boasts a booming voice and anthemic, galvanizing songs.
Thursday, May 22:
Billy Joel Jr., Microcosms, Molly Carberry at Sleeping Village. Tickets.
While this Chicago band first got press for faking a cease and desist letter from Billy Joel himself and fooling some publications, their raucous rock songs are fun and worth checking out.
Friday, May 23:
Meg & the Wheelers, Los Gallos, Lydia Cash at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Like country? Like local music? Go to Ukrainian Village on Friday.
Craig Finn, Nathan Graham at Old Town School of Folk. Tickets.
Songs and stories from the Hold Steady frontman and podcast host.
Sunday, May 25:
Moontype, Krill (2), Fran at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
A Chicago band switches its lineup and releases its best album yet.
Florist, Allegra Krieger at Old Town School of Folk. Tickets.
Gentle folk and devastating lyrics from two rising songwriters.
Tuesday, May 27:
Plum, Everlasting Light, Noiseland at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Tasteful indie rock at Chicago’s best rock club? Sounds like a great Tuesday. |
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What’s your favorite Chicago-area farmers market? Let us know and tell us why. |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM |
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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