Lincoln’s Legacy: Historic Americana from the Life of Abraham Lincoln

Bronze plaque with medallion depicting Abraham Lincoln in profile; some minor tarnishing. 21 3/4 x 28 3/4 in. (552 x 730 mm). 

Victor David Brenner emigrated to the United States from Lithuania in 1890 and immediately enrolled at the Cooper Union to hone his craft as a sculptor and medalist. Within a decade, his work was in high demand, and it was through this work that he made the acquaintance of Theodore Roosevelt, who would pose for Brenner many times in the ensuing years.

Upon winning a second term to the presidency in 1904, Roosevelt sought to modernize the designs of American currency, beginning with the penny. A great admirer both of Lincoln's and of a bas relief of the 16th President he'd seen on display in Brenner's studio years earlier, Roosevelt later chose Brenner's design to be the new obverse of the United States penny. It was issued in 1909, in time to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Brenner's design came to be the quintessential depiction of Lincoln during the early 20th century. This would mark the first time that a former President was depicted on U.S. currency.

Plaques incorporating Brenner's design and the text of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address began to be manufactured for use on municipal buildings in the early 1910s.

Provenance:

Louise Taper, Beverly Hills, California