An original, handwritten edition of the Gettysburg Address is going on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which will offer free admission Nov. 19, the anniversary of Lincoln’s historic speech.
The presidential library’s copy of the Gettysburg Address will be exhibited Nov. 18 through Nov. 28. After that, it returns to a climate-controlled vault for safekeeping.
To give more people the opportunity to appreciate this powerful document, admission to the museum will be free on Nov. 19, the 159th anniversary of Lincoln delivering the speech at a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa.
The Gettysburg Address is not just Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech, it’s one of the most famous speeches ever given. Its stirring prose and historic impact have been studied by everyone from schoolchildren to scholars.
The display includes features to assist people with visual impairments. By scanning QR codes with their mobile phones, visitors will be able to hear a reading of the speech and the display label that explains the speech’s significance or see an easy-to-read text version of the speech.
For anyone who can’t visit in person, the ALPLM offers a webpage (www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov/gettysburgaddress) that provides an up-close look at the presidential library’s copy of the speech, explaining its history and how it differs from other copies.