Welcome
Welcome to the launch page for the Lincoln Sculptures Project map of Lincoln Sculptures! We (Lincoln enthusiasts and historians, David B. Wiegers and Scott T. Schroeder) thank you very much for visiting. This page provides a link to access the map directly as well as provides more information about the Lincoln Sculptures Project, the online map of Lincoln sculptures, gives some tips on how to use the map, provides our contact information, and answers some frequently asked questions.
About the Lincoln Sculptures Project
Some years ago, while attending the Lincoln Forum Symposium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, we found ourselves discussing the many sculptures we had visited in our travels. As the discussion continued, we both began to form and discuss ideas about the mountain of information Dave had in turn gathered—specifically how it might be used and shared. We continued our conversation in Springfield, IL while attending the annual Abraham Lincoln Association Symposium and Banquet. And so, a seed was planted. After several years of planning and work, that seed has grown into what we have dubbed The Lincoln Sculptures Project.
The first part of that project is what we now have up for public use. It is a map of Abraham Lincoln sculptures and their locations worldwide. Read on to learn more about the map!
About the Map
When first deciding to put together an online map of Lincoln sculptures, we came up with some ideas of what we would like to accomplish.
First, we wanted to depict the locations of Lincoln sculptures in a manner that was free and easily accessible.
Second, we wanted pictures and basic information about each sculpture to be available to map viewers.
Third, we wanted to create a naming convention for each sculpture that we could use to identify pieces on the map, but also help with the tracking and cataloging process.
After exploring several options, we chose Google Maps as the platform to host the map. While Google Maps has its limitations, it does most of what we wanted it to do. It is easily accessible and free to users, it allows for some customization, it is relatively easy to maintain and update, and Google will keep it up to date as technology changes.
The bulk of the home page is a world map where users will immediately see numerous red icons, each of which denotes the location of a Lincoln sculpture. Since we wanted the sculpture locations to stand out, we had an icon created specifically for our use. Using the available controls or via touch screen, users can zoom in and out of the map. And by clicking on an individual icon, a sculpture-specific dialog box will open. That dialog box features photographs and information on each sculpture - including the name of the sculptor, the name of the sculpture, general location, GPS coordinates, sculpture type, and other information that may be of interest.
We have assigned each sculpture a specific designation—a combination of letters and numbers—that is intended to serve the same general purpose as the Ostendorf numbering system for Lincoln photographs. To both identify the sculpture and to aid with cataloging and searching for individual sculptures when used in other media formats and in other places.
The map, though up and accessible online, is not a finished product. And it likely never will be! Our intention is to continue to update information as well as add new sculptures as we discover them or as they are unveiled/dedicated.
Link to the Map
To access the map, you can either click on the following link, or copy and paste the web address into your web browser.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1...sp=sharing
Contact Us
Want to learn more about the Lincoln Sculptures Project or our map? Do you know of any sculptures we may have missed? Do you have any other questions? Feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you! We can be reached at the following email address: [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Note: As we continue to update and revise our database and map, the answers to some of these questions may change. So be sure to bookmark this page and check back from time to time!
Which US states, territories, etc. have the most Lincoln sculptures represented on the map?
Per our most current tally, the top 10 are as follows:
1. Illinois – 209 sculptures
2. Indiana – 35 sculptures
3. California – 32 sculptures
4. New York – 30 sculptures
5. Wisconsin – 25 sculptures
6. Pennsylvania – 24 sculptures
7. Michigan – 23 sculptures
8. District of Columbia – 22 sculptures
9. Kentucky – 18 sculptures
10. Ohio – 17 sculptures
Are there any Lincoln sculptures in the former Confederate states?
Yes. There are Lincoln sculptures in six of the eleven former Confederate states. They are as follows:
North Carolina Tennessee
Georgia Texas
Mississippi Virginia
How many different countries have sculptures of Lincoln?
Though there may be more, as far as we can currently confirm, there are 23 countries where Lincoln sculptures reside. The countries are as follows:
United States of America Malaysia
Argentina Mexico
Australia North Macedonia
Austria Norway
Chile Philippines
China Portugal
Cuba Republic of San Marino
Ecuador Russia
England Scotland
France Thailand
Israel Venezuela
We are aware of a couple more possibilities, but have not yet been able to confirm those.
Outside of the United States of America, which countries have the most confirmed Lincoln sculptures?
- England (9)
- Mexico (4)
- Cuba (3)
- China (2)
France (2)
The rest all have one confirmed sculpture.
Are there any women who have sculpted Lincoln?
Yes. The works of nineteen female sculptors are represented on our map. They are as follows:
Ruth Abernathy Marsha Lega
Sarah Fischer Ames Edmondia Lewis
Rebecca Childers Caleel Allison Macomber
Angela Connor Kathleen Scarboro
Kathleen Farrell Paula Slater
Edna Goodenough Lily Tolpo
Vinnie Ream Hoxie Susan Wagner
Aleda Haug Nellie Verne Walker
Anna Hyatt Huntington Julia Bracken Wendt
Olivia Kim
Which sculptor has the most unique pieces (meaning not copies or re-sized versions of another piece) represented on the map?
By our current count, the top five sculptors with unique pieces are currently as follows:
- John McClarey – 20 sculptures
- Avard Fairbanks – 16 sculptures
- BRC Imagination – 11 sculptures
- Emil Seletz – 8 sculptures
- George Honig 6 sculptures
* It should be noted that some sculptors, such as Leonard Volk and the Caproni and Brothers have many copies and re-sized copies of a work that are represented on our map. And there may be many more copied pieces out there that we do not currently have represented on our map. Many copies of their works were produced. Those copies were not considered in answering this question which asked about unique pieces as defined above.
On your map, you define sculpture as statue, bust, or relief. How many of each type are represented?
By our most current count the numbers are as follows:
Statue: 359 Bust: 145 Relief: 108
It should be noted that these numbers do not exactly match the total number of sculptures on our map. As we work continue to work through our database and enter items into the map, these numbers will likely change as we have not yet classified some of the sculptures.
Are there any new sculptures of Lincoln planned?
Recently, sculptures have been unveiled at locations that include Mt. Pulaski, IL (2023), Kalamazoo, MI (2023), and Atchinson, KS (2023), Rochester, NY (2023). And another new sculpture is set to be dedicated in Dayton, OH in September, 2024. There are undoubtedly more planned.
How often do you update the map?
Though we don’t have a definitive schedule for map updates, we do update the map regularly.
Scott Schroeder and Dave Wiegers