A book that explores Abraham Lincoln’s enduring impact through the historic treasures at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has earned national awards from two history groups, while a museum exhibit based on the book was honored by an Illinois museum organization.
“Lincoln: The Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 Objects” received the “Award of Achievement” from the Lincoln Group of New York. The award is given each year “to the individual or organization that has done the most to encourage the study and appreciation of Abraham Lincoln.”
The book also earned the Barondess/Lincoln Award from The Civil War Round Table of New York. The group’s awards chair called the book “a visually stunning and meticulously researched volume.”
“Lincoln: The Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 Objects” was written by the ALPLM’s executive director, Christina Shutt, and its head of acquisitions, Dr. Ian Patrick Hunt. It uses the presidential library’s collection of documents and artifacts to tell Lincoln’s story and show the impact he had on Americans. It was published by Rizzoli New York in 2025.
A museum exhibit based on the book ran from Sept. 26, 2025, until April 26, 2026. It included many of the artifacts highlighted in the book, along with historic photos brought to life with modern technology. The exhibit was honored with a Superior Achievement award from the Illinois Association of Museums.
“We are honored that both the book and the exhibit have been recognized in this way,” said Shutt. “Clearly, people remain hungry for new insights into Abraham Lincoln and his impact, both on the people of his era and the nation today.”
The Civil War Round Table of New York was founded in 1951. The Barondess/Lincoln Award was first handed out in 1962. Past recipients include such historians as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham and Harold Holzer.
The Lincoln Group of New York was founded in 1978 and began bestowing its award of achievement in 1988. Recipients include David Herbert Donald, Eric Foner and Ronald C. White, as well as Goodwin, Meacham and Holzer.
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.
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