Tag: Ford’s Theatre

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The Fire of Genius at the Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium

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Ford's Theatre ALI Symposium In less than two weeks I’ll be joining Jon Meacham and three other Lincoln scholars on the stage at Ford’s Theatre for the Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium.

Ford’s Theatre is both a working theater and a national historic site. The box where Lincoln was assassinated is maintained in the condition that it was that night, and Lincoln scholars and the general public alike make pilgrimages to the site. There is also a museum on the lower floor. Standing on the stage gives somewhat of an existential feeling, as if you are transported back in time to that fateful night. For nearly a decade, Ford’s has also generously provided the theater space to the Abraham Lincoln Institute for its annual symposium, this year back live after a few COVID-induced virtual years. I am honored to have been selected as one of the five speakers for this year’s symposium, where I’ll talk about my book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, and in particular, how Lincoln helped modernize America.

The five renowned speakers are:

Terry Alford
In the Houses of Their Dead: The Lincolns, the Booths, and the Spirits

Fred L. Hord
Co-editor, Knowing Him by Heart: African Americans on Abraham Lincoln

David J. Kent
Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America

Jon Meacham
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle

Diana Schaub
His Greatest Speeches: How Lincoln Moved the Nation

All five of us will participate in a speaker panel after our individual talks, with renowned historian and incoming ALI President Edna Greene Medford serving as moderator. Each of us will also have time to sign your copies of our books, which will be available from the Ford’s bookstore.

Even better, the event is entirely free. Please go here to the Ford’s site to reserve your free tickets.

As I mentioned, Ford’s Theatre is not just a historic site, it’s a working theater putting on stellar performances. Since you’re already in town for the ALI Symposium, check out the new play opening just days before the event, the set of which will serve as the backdrop for the symposium. “SHOUT SISTER SHOUT” is Cheryl L. West’s “spirited, authentic and emotionally charged story about a charismatic music forerunner and the authentic roots of rock-and-roll.” It is not to be missed. Check out this link to obtain tickets.

If you’re in the Washington, DC area, or can get here on March 25th, plan to come to Ford’s Theatre for the ALI Symposium. Need more incentive? Peak cherry blossom bloom is predicted to be March 22-25th, perfect timing for a visit.

Hope to see you all there!

[Photo courtesy of Ford’s Theatre]

Fire of Genius

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Abraham Lincoln and the Technology of War

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Organized by the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, this exhibition explores how cutting-edge Civil War technological innovations captured Lincoln's fascination and impacted the conduct of the war.The American Civil War was a crossroads between the old style of warfare and modern warfare. This modern warfare (if one can call the wholesale taking of lives “modern”) is explored in an exhibit in the Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership called “Abraham Lincoln and the Technology of War.” The exhibit runs through July 6, 2014, so make your plans soon.

In a nutshell, the old way of fighting had mainly been a function of how many men could be thrown together for close-quarters combat. Men lined up to fire single shot muskets at fairly short ranges, then engaged in hand-to-hand (or bayonet-to-bayonet) fighting. Thousands would die on the battlefield; thousands more would die of infection and disease. The Civil War saw plenty of this old way of fighting. But it also saw plenty of new technology being put into play.

To get to the exhibit you enter through the Petersen House, then take an elevator up to the fourth floor of the adjacent Center and work your way down. Start by gazing at the tower of Abraham Lincoln books.

Lincoln book tower

On the second floor you’ll find the technology of war exhibit, organized by the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Lincoln was fascinated by technology and both used and helped encourage its development during the war. He was the first president to use the telegraph for rapid communication.

Telegraph

Lincoln had long been a proponent of internal improvements, including railroads. And the difference in railroad infrastructure between the North and the South was both dramatic and crucial to the war’s outcome. More on that in the future.

RailroadsThe advancements in railroads, manned balloons, and cannons moved warfare into the modern age. The evolution of basic weaponry – away from single-shot muskets and toward repeating rifles and pistols – increased both the distance and lethality of offense.

Rifles

I’ll have much more on this topic in the coming months as I continue my exploration of Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. To get a taste of the current exhibit at Ford’s Theatre, check out this short video about the collection:

David J. Kent is an avid Lincolnophile and is writing a book on Abraham Lincoln’s interests in technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, and a signed copy can be ordered directly from me. The second printing will be available in Barnes and Noble bookstores soon, or you can download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com.

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Abraham Lincoln Book Club of Washington DC

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The Abraham Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia has a book club. And this past weekend we finished reading Herndon’s Lincoln, the book that we’ve been discussing for the last nine months. In my earlier review I noted that this particular edition of the book was greatly enhanced by the incredible editorial annotation by Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis. Even more invaluable was the input from the book members themselves.

I should emphasize that our Lincoln Group book club includes several historians, archivists, researchers, and all-around Abraham Lincoln scholars. We also had people who had little previous knowledge of Lincoln. Each of us brought our own preconceptions, backgrounds, and opinions, which when informed further by the personal insights of Herndon and others who knew Lincoln, made for lively and sometimes surprising discussions. Arising from the three-quarter-year analysis was a much deeper understanding of both the book and Abraham Lincoln. I think everyone in the group would agree that it was a worthwhile and special experience.

LGDC book discussion group

This last session was special in another sense as well. Because of a last minute scheduling conflict we were not able to use the room that has been our home base for the last nine months. Normally we meet on the 5th floor of the Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership, across the street from the famous site of Lincoln’s assassination and next to the Petersen House, where Lincoln died.

Our backup plan was Ford’s Theatre itself, or more accurately, the conference room on the top floor of Ford’s Theatre. Bypassing the lines queued up for the matinee of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, we found the entrance to an elegant conference room tucked into the rafters of the theater. Here is the view from the top as the audience filed in for the performance.

Ford's Theatre from the rafters

George Healey’s famous painting of Abraham Lincoln loomed over our group as we discussed the final chapters. Imagine sitting in a room discussing the motivations of the man gazing in thoughtful contemplation over your left shoulder. No, we weren’t intimidated. Much.

LGDC book club

Abe did photobomb the apparently requisite selfie at such grandiose events. Left to right are John Elliff, Richard Margolies (our esteemed discussion leader), Abe, Me, and Rodney Ross.

Selfie

While a bit of Lincolnesque melancholy was felt with the ending of this past year’s discussion, a new birth of excitement was in the air because we had chosen the next book for discussion – The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln by noted Lincoln scholar, Michael Burlingame. Even more exciting is that, thanks to Rod Ross, Michael Burlingame has agreed to speak to our discussion group on November 1st. Check out the LGDC site for more details as they emerge.

For those in the Washington DC area with an interest in Abraham Lincoln, please consider our Lincoln Group book club. You don’t have to be a Lincoln expert to join; you just have to read the book. It doesn’t get much easier than that. And the rewards?

Priceless!

David J. Kent is an avid Lincolnophile and the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.

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Collecting Abraham Lincoln Books – A Never Ending Joy

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Abraham LincolnOver the years I’ve collected hundreds of books about Abraham Lincoln, though with thousands of books written about him I have a long way to go before I run out of options.  Having the money to collect more and the shelf space to store more, well, those are different questions altogether.  As of this writing (5/25/12) I have 644 titles in my collection. However, a title could be multiple volumes. For example, my 10-volume set of Nicolay and Hay’s “Abraham Lincoln: A History” published in 1890 counts only as one “title.”

Some quick numbers:

111    =     Number of books signed by the author (many directly to me)

273    =    Number of confirmed first editions

80      =    Number of first editions that are signed by the author

62      =    Number of books that have pre-1900 copyright dates

1834  =    Oldest copyright date in my collection

Of course, others have a bigger collection than I do.  Recently the Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership unveiled its 34-foot tower of Lincoln books.  While the tower repeats 205 actual titles, it holds about 6,800 books – a fraction of the estimated 15,000 books written about Lincoln.

Ford's Theatre Lincoln book tower

Clearly I need to step up the pace of my book collecting.

Check out my Abraham Lincoln page.

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