The Kentucky Humanities Council recently awarded $1,200 to Louisville’s Portland Museum for an upcoming forum that focuses on Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and how it was influenced by the media.
The panel discussion, scheduled for 2 p.m. Jan. 17 at the museum, corresponds with an exhibit featuring about 50 engravings that depict the major events of the Lincoln presidency, from the Republican Convention in Chicago in 1860 to the hanging of Lincoln’s assassins in 1865. The images, original engravings published in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and Harper’s Weekly, are from a private collection and have not been previously displayed in Kentucky. They tell the story of the Lincoln presidency and demonstrate the power of imagery in the 19th century popular media.
As part of the Lincoln Bicentennial, the Kentucky premiere of this private collection will stimulate discussion on the role of the media in creating mythic and iconic stature of Lincoln in the national culture. Panelists include Dr. John Kleber, professor emeritus of history from Morehead State University, McConnell Center Fellow and editor of several major works, including The Encyclopedia of Louisville and The Encyclopedia of Kentucky; Dr. Thomas Mackey, professor of history at the University of Louisville and adjunct professor of law at the Brandeis School of Law; Richard C. Cooper, manager of interpretive services at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati and Harpers’ Weekly scholar; Stephen George, editor of LEO, a weekly newsprint publication serving the Louisville Metro area; and John Faulkner, director of community relations for the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville.
Since its creation in 1972, the Kentucky Humanities Council, with the assistance of the National Endowment for the Humanities and private contributions, has supported public programs in the humanities throughout the Commonwealth. These programs include, but are not limited to, conferences, lectures, radio and television productions, exhibits, teacher training and development of curricular materials, interpretive programs for festivals, book discussions, and planning for future projects.
For information about this event or Portland Museum, located at 2308 Portland Ave., Louisville, Ky., click here. For more information about applying for a minigrant through the Kentucky Humanities Council, visit our grant introduction page. For information about KHC’s programs and services, click here.
What will you find in this issue?
The Kentucky Humanities Council, in partnership with Michael Breeding MEDIA, has produced a DVD of the musical, historical and theatrical performance that thrilled its audience in the nation’s capital on Feb. 2. Nearly 1,500 people from six states and D.C. purchased tickets to see this celebration of the life of Kentucky’s most beloved president, Abraham Lincoln. Our Lincoln featured more than 350 performers, many of them Kentuckians — including Metropolitan Opera stars Angela Brown and Gregory Turay, violinist Mark O’Connor, the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, UK Symphony Orchestra, the Lexington Singers and their Children’s Choir, Kentucky Chautauqua performers and the American Spiritual Ensemble. Public radio broadcaster Bob Edwards was master of ceremonies, and Nick Clooney was a narrator for the performance.