| Length | 06:59 |
| Licensor | Public Radio International |
| Producer(s) | Studio 360 staff |
| Formats | Documentary, Soft Feature, Special |
| Topics | Art, Historical Anniversaries, Holidays |
| Produced | 2006 |
| Added to PRX | February 7, 2007 |
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Kurt Andersen explores the surprising resonance of an American Icon, the Lincoln Memorial
http://www.studio360.org/americanicons/
Reporter: Kurt Andersen; Jonathan Mitchell and Eric Molinsky, contributing producers
Studio 360's American Icons series is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities
February 12: Abraham Lincoln's birthday
Inspiring, Sound Rich, Thoughtful
English
You are carrying a picture of the Lincoln Memorial on you right now, on a five-dollar bill or the back of a penny. It is the most famous sculpture in America: the seated Lincoln carved in white marble -- one hand clenched with determination, the other relaxed as if in contemplation.
The Lincoln Memorial took generations to build, because "Lincoln was a divisive figure," comments historian Christopher Thomas. Author Sarah Vowell notes that "Lincoln is such a screwy-looking guy, it takes [sculptor Daniel Chester] French years trying to figure out how to . . . to represent his face."
Studio 360's Kurt Andersen speaks with Thomas, Vowell, and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin in this 7-minute story, and actor David Strathairn ("Good Night and Good Luck") reads an excerpt from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.
