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Not to be missed the Minnesota House of Representatives State Fair booth
has a new attraction this year, a replica
of the House speaker's desk that is positioned
in the House Chamber at the State Capitol. Visitors to the state booth will
have the chance to imagine
they have the speaker of the Minnesota House, as they step behind the mock desk,
take the gavel in hand and smile for the picture.
This photo opportunity was modeled after the
actual speaker's setting in the House Chamber.
In both the real and like-real locations,
you'll find the gavel, flags on either side of the podium
and a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. The painting of the 16th President
of the United States is sure to raise some questions,
like why is that located in such a prominent position
in the House Chamber, behind the speaker. Well,
we dig into our video vault to bring you one of our
Inside the House Chamber stories that answers the question
and shines light on the fascinating history
of this honored artifact.
The House Chamber speaks of the Civil War.
Above the Speaker's chair hangs a portrait of Abraham Lincoln.
The president of the United States during this very challenging time
in the nation's history. Inside the House Chamber
looks at the history of this artifact and its place of
honor in the House Chamber.
George Healy a renowned artist of the eighteen hundreds
painted the original image. Robert Todd Lincoln
once sad that the original was the finest likeness
of his father ever painted. Brian Pease the site manager of the Capitol for the
Minnesota Historical Society,
shares the historical account of the image.
George Healy was an artist who had painted Abraham Lincoln, and
General Sherman, General Grant at the end of the war in a large painting
called The Peacemakers
and in that pose, of Linoln, he has him sitting in his chair with his hand
just like we seen the portrait here. In the 1880s, he was doing a competition in
Paris and so he decided I'm gonna paint or take that
portrait of Linocln and then put that in my painting.
He made a couple of copies also. One of the portraits
Abraham Lincoln's son Robert Todd Lincoln would come to own,
another would be owned by Elihu Washburne
a representative from Illinois and a close friend
of Abraham Lincoln. Elihu Washburne of course took his back home with
him.
He gave it to his brother, sold it to his brother, William Washburn who was the US
Senator from Minnesota
and so when this capitol opened it wasn't right away, but a few years after the
Capitol opened, he
decided lets you know put that on display in this Minnesota State Capitol
above the speaker's desk and so that was on display here until the 1930s
when the family wanted the painting back
well that one like that the large statuary that became a part of the history part of
the recognition of that space. An artist was commissioned to create
a copy of the Lincoln portrait to put in the vacant spot.
The copy is so exact that some say experts
can't tell the difference from the original. Edward Brewer a
sample artist was hired to do an exact copy of that original portrait
and so what we have hanging behind the speaker's desk is
the copy of Abraham Lincoln. So the portrait of
Abraham Lincoln now in the House chamber is a copy of the portrait the Washburn
family lent to the chamber
shortly after the capitol opened. The Washburn family painting
is now in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
Some rumors had been floated around that it was hung
in the White House. lot of people thought this one after it left the State Capitol
it went to the White House
and was in the dining room but that was actually the one that Robert Lincoln had
and so, so because there's this three paintings that are floating around, it's hard to know
where they were ending up at different times. Here's a list of where the three
original Healy portarits have ended up the Washburn copy is at the National
Portrait Gallery
in Washington DC the Robert Todd Lincoln copy
is in the white house State Dining Room and the portrait that was used in the
Paris competition by Healy
is now at the Newberry Library in Chicago,
Illinois.
When it comes to the three original portraits
Healy wasn't satisfied to make them all the same.
He did do some little bit subtle changes
most striking is the Washburn family portrait
and the Paris competition portrait show Abraham Lincoln
in a plain brown chair, whereas
the Robert Todd Lincoln portrait shows Abraham Lincoln
in a different chair. had a little bit more about of a
rococo or kind of a gilding on the chair.
Abraham Lincoln led the country through
a very trying time and has become one of the most revered presidents
in the nation's history. The image of Abraham Lincoln above the speakers' desk
has also garnered some recognition and become
part of the history of the House chamber.
Ed Burdick, the late chief clerk of the Minnesota House of Representatives
once said if the portrait could talk, it would quote:
"Tell a story of drama, politics,
suspense, intense debate, dedication,
parliamentary law and interesting personalities.
No doubt as we look forward to the future, more stories
will unfold.