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Lincoln Monument of Wabash, Indiana

Lincoln Monument of Wabash, Indiana, also known as The Great Emancipator, is a public sculpture by Charles Keck, a New York-born sculptor. The cast bronze statue was originally commissioned by prominent citizen Alexander New and donated to the city administration in 1932. Since then, it has remained on view at the northeast corner of the lawn of the Wabash County Courthouse in Indiana.

Seated bronze Abraham Lincoln statue on a granite pedestal inscribed with Lincoln\'s quote.
The Lincoln Monument shows a seated bronze figure of Abraham Lincoln atop a granite base with an engraved inscription.
November 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bronze Lincoln Monument sculpture of a seated bearded man in a suit and bow tie.
The Lincoln Monument shown as a seated bronze figure against a partly cloudy sky.
November 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Lincoln Monument in Wabash, Indiana, showing a seated Lincoln sculpture on a pedestal with an inscription, in front of a stone building with arched windows.
The Lincoln Monument in Wabash, Indiana, features a seated Lincoln sculpture on a pedestal.
© SIRIS · Public domain
The Lincoln Monument stands in front of a large brick and stone courthouse with a clock tower.
The Lincoln Monument in Wabash, Indiana, set before the county courthouse.
May 2002 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Lincoln Monument, a seated greenish metal statue in front of a brick courthouse with a clock tower.
The Lincoln Monument stands in front of the Wabash County Courthouse under a bright blue sky.
May 2002 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleLincoln Monument of Wabash, Indiana
Alternative nameThe Great Emancipator
TypePublic sculpture

Historical context

SubjectAbraham Lincoln

Creator

ArtistCharles Keck
Artist birth dateSeptember 9, 1875
Artist death dateApril 23, 1951
Artist birthplaceNew York City
Commissioned byAlexander New, a native of Wabash who grew up there, studied law, and later built a large chain of stores with main offices in New York

Discovery and provenance

Donated toThe city of Wabash, Indiana
Donation year1932

Location and ownership

Displayed since1932
Current locationNortheast corner of the Wabash County Courthouse lawn, Wabash, Indiana

Physical characteristics

DepictionA larger-than-life Abraham Lincoln sitting on a rock with his head slightly bowed forward and his arms resting on his knees
Hand poseBoth hands are closed except for the extended right index finger
ClothingBeard, bow tie, vest, long coat, and boots
Boot detailThe right boot extends just beyond the edge of the base
Accessory detailA watch chain is visible on the vest
Foundry mark"Gorham Co. Founder" along the back proper left edge of the bronze base
Additional markAnother indecipherable foundry mark or signature in black, raised letters just past the Gorham mark

Materials

Figure materialCast bronze
Base materialGranite

Iconography and meaning

Commemorated personsIsaac and Henrietta New
Front inscriptionLINCOLN / WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE / WITH CHARITY FOR ALL
Back inscriptionERECTED IN LOVING MEMORY / OF HIS PARENTS / ISAAC AND HENRIETTA NEW / BY / ALEXANDER NEW / 1932

History and restoration

Appearance around 1992 inspectionA black-and-white image taken around the time of the inspection shows the sculpture no longer having the even, dark patina seen in 1932
Catalog recordAn online record was created in the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS)
Unveiled and dedicatedMay 31, 1932, Memorial Day
Appearance as of June 2008The sculpture appears to have a similar even, dark patina as in 1932, suggesting its appearance had recently been changed
Appearance in 2005 publicationGreiff's 2005 publication shows the sculpture with a similar appearance to the 1992 image
Survey referenceSave Outdoor Sculpture! survey
Inspection year1992
Inspection programSave Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) program
Appearance at unveilingEven, dark patina
Unveiling contextUnveiled and dedicated a year after Alexander New's death
Unveiling locationWabash, Indiana

Other

Historical photo sourceIndiana Historical Society collections
Historical photo dateTaken on the day of the unveiling
Historical photo subjectCourthouse lawn with onlookers packed around the sculpture, including some seated on one of the porch roofs of the Wabash County Courthouse
Historical photo viewLooking southwest at the sculpture with the Wabash County Courthouse in the background
Identical version in HinghamThe town of Hingham, Massachusetts owns what appears to be an identical version of this sculpture, displayed on a granite base with the same front inscription, dedicated to the citizens of Hingham on September 23, 1939
MaquetteA much smaller maquette of the sculpture is owned by President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C.; it shows Lincoln holding a book in his right hand and his hat visible near his right boot
Comparison versions appearanceThe Hingham version and the maquette also show an even, dark patina
Installation accountHomer T. Showalter, mayor of Wabash at the time, provided a first-hand account of the sculpture's installation