Madison County Courthouse Receives Famous Lincoln Portrait

(L-R) IJA Board Member Hon. Judge Sarah Smith; IJA President Hon. John Coady; ISBA 3rd Vice President Dennis Orsey; Third Circuit Chief Judge David Hylla; IJA Treasurer Hon. Barbara Crowder.

A high-quality reproduction of a famous Abraham Lincoln photograph was presented during a ceremony Monday at the Madison County Courthouse.

The photograph was taken in Springfield by well-known photographer Alexander Hesler on June 3, 1860, for Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign. Printed on canvas, the image of the beardless Lincoln is encased in a richly stained wood frame and measures 30-inches wide by 40-inches tall.

The permanent installation is made possible by donations from the Illinois Judges Association (IJA), the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and their respective foundations – the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation. 

The four organizations are partnering with the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS), which owns the glass-plate positives of the Hesler-Lincoln portrait. 

David Hylla, chief judge of the 3rd Judicial Circuit and a member of the IJA, presided over the ceremony. ISBA was represented by 3rd Vice President Dennis Orsey.

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Rhys Saunders

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