Association of Lincoln Presenters explained

Association of Lincoln Presenters
Named After:Abraham Lincoln
Formation:1990
Founder:Dan Bassuk
Founding Location:Whitehouse, New Jersey, United States
Type:Nonprofit
Purpose:Historical society
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Stanley Wernz[1]

The Association of Lincoln Presenters is a membership organization founded by Dan Bassuk in 1990. It was established as a members' society for impersonators of 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The group has been the subject of a feature-length documentary and a photography exhibition by Greta Pratt.

History and members

The Association of Lincoln Presenters (ALP) was founded by literature professor and Lincoln impersonator Dan Bassuk in 1990 in Whitehouse, New Jersey.[2] New members were recruited via newspaper advertisements.[3] By 1994, the organization's membership had grown to 45,[4] six of whom participated in the televised Lincoln–Douglas debate reenactments on the public affairs network C-SPAN.[5] The inaugural ALP conference took place in Lexington, Kentucky the following year and was attended by 34 impersonators.[5] This became an annual event, visiting towns and cities around the US often chosen for their historical significance: the 2013 conference took place in Columbus, Ohio, where Lincoln briefly lay in state following his assassination in 1865;[6] while the 2018 event was held in Freeport, Illinois, one of the locations of the original Lincoln–Douglas debates.[7] The ALP celebrated its 25th annual conference in 2019 in Dawsonville, Georgia.[8]

As of 2022, the group's membership comprises more than 220 reenactors, with representatives from 40 of the 50 US states.[9] Besides Abraham Lincoln, ALP members also portray his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, as well as other notable contemporary figures including Ulysses S. Grant and Harriet Beecher Stowe.[10] As impersonators, ALP members generally wear paraphernalia associated with Lincoln such as black coats, stovepipe hats and chinstrap beards.[11] [12] Members of the group have appeared as Lincoln in various settings, including educational events, historical reenactments, weddings and acting roles.[13] [14]

Mottos

The ALP has had several official mottos since its establishment. The first, "Now he belongs to the stages", used from the group's founding in 1990 until 1999,[15] was a deliberate misquote of the "Now he belongs to the ages" line uttered by Edwin Stanton following Lincoln's death.[16] A portion of the membership disapproved of the slogan, which was eventually replaced by the pun "Ready, Willing and Abe L.",[17] referring to the group members' availability to appear at public events.[10] By 2003, the ALP had adopted its third motto, "Would I Might Rouse the Lincoln in You All", a line taken from the poem "Lincoln" by Vachel Lindsay.[18]

Media coverage

In 2008, the group and its members were the subject of a feature-length documentary.[19] Being Lincoln: Men With Hats, directed by Nashville-based film maker Elvis Wilson, followed long-serving ALP member Dennis Boggs as he helps newcomer John Mansfield begin his career as a Lincoln presenter.[20] [21] The idea behind the documentary came from Wilson's wife, Victoria Radford, who had learned about the group several years earlier while writing a book about the real Lincoln.[22] The film aired on the Documentary Channel and Showtime.[23]

Photographer Greta Pratt attended four ALP conferences, including the 2012 conference in Decatur, Illinois, taking photographs of the group's members as part of her Nineteen Lincolns project.[10] The collection was exhibited at the Candela Gallery in Richmond, Virginia in 2012,[24] and later at the Chrysler Museum of Art in 2015.[25]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Abraham Lincoln Associations. abrahamlincolnonline.org. April 19, 2022.
  2. Web site: Among Lincoln Presenters, 1 Voice Resounds. chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Van Matre, Lynn. February 11, 1998. April 19, 2022.
  3. Web site: Men of Character : Lincoln Impersonators Uphold Presidential Virtues. Los Angeles Times. Miller, Martin. February 12, 1997. April 20, 2022.
  4. Williams. Frank J.. Frank J. Williams. Lincolniana in 1994. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. 1995 . Abraham Lincoln Association. Springfield, IL. 16. 2. Summer 1995. 33–79. 2027/spo.2629860.0016.206 . April 19, 2022.
  5. Web site: History – The Association of Lincoln Presenters. lincolnpresenters.com. The Association of Lincoln Presenters. April 19, 2022.
  6. Web site: Lincoln impersonators rub gangly elbows in Ohio. eu.timesonline.com. The Beaver County Times. Stacy, Mitch. April 12, 2013. April 19, 2022.
  7. Web site: Here's what happens when dozens of Abe Lincolns descend on a small town in Illinois. Jaffe, Alexandra. vice.com. Vice News. May 1, 2018. April 19, 2022.
  8. Web site: Inside an Annual Gathering of Abraham Lincoln Impersonators. Norman, Benjamin. time.com. Time. April 16, 2019. April 19, 2022.
  9. Web site: Membership – The Association of Lincoln Presenters. lincolnpresenters.com. Association of Lincoln Presenters. April 19, 2022.
  10. Wogan. Hicks. April 2022. Abes Across America. National Geographic. 241. 4. 6–12.
  11. Web site: Being Abe Lincoln. theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Wolf Shenk, Joshua. February 2002. April 19, 2022.
  12. Web site: Lincolnpalooza. projects.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera America. Lanpher, Katherine. May 1, 2015. April 19, 2022.
  13. Web site: Making an honest living as an Abe Lincoln look-alike. eu.lohud.com. The Journal News. Croke, Karen. February 12, 2018. April 19, 2022.
  14. Web site: Tennessee Man Makes an Honest Living as Abe. tnmagazine.org. The Tennessee Magazine. Carey, Bill. January 2020. April 19, 2022.
  15. Book: Schneider, Rebecca. Performing Remains: Art and War in Times of Theatrical Reenactment. 2011. 32. 9781136979699. Taylor & Francis.
  16. Schneider, p. 45
  17. Book: Ferguson, Andrew. Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America. Andrew Ferguson. 2008. 154. 9781555848514. Grove Atlantic.
  18. Web site: History Repeats Itself. Forbes. September 15, 2003. April 20, 2022.
  19. Web site: Keeping Lincoln's history alive despite flunking social studies. buffalonews.com. The Buffalo News. O'Brien, Barbara. February 14, 2016. April 19, 2022.
  20. Web site: Nashville residents find fulfillment as Abe Lincoln. tnledger.com. Nashville Ledger. Ghianni, Tim. April 29, 2011. April 19, 2022.
  21. Web site: Being Lincoln: Men With Hats. radiotimes.com. Radio Times. April 19, 2022.
  22. Web site: Nashville filmmaker explores subculture where everyone is Abraham Lincoln. nashvillescene.com. Nashville Scene. Ridley, Jim. November 13, 2008. April 19, 2022.
  23. Web site: Elvis Wilson. networkisa.org. International Screenwriters' Association. April 19, 2022.
  24. Web site: Take Your Hat Off to These 13 Abe Lincoln Impersonators. slate.com. Slate. Coppelman, Alyssa. November 9, 2012. April 19, 2022.
  25. Web site: Nineteen Lincolns. chrysler.org. Chrysler Museum of Art. April 19, 2022.