American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

Life Mask of Abraham Lincoln (Exhibition)
birth: 1953 February 11
death: 1968 February 25
Exhibition. Held during the month of February each year from 1953 to 1968. Located in Section 2, Floor 1 in the Grand Gallery for the years 1953, 1963, 1964, 1965 Section 12, and Floor 2 in the Rotunda of the New York State Roosevelt Memorial in 1956 and 1968. The Life Mask of Abraham Lincoln at the American Museum of Natural History featured a bronze cast of a mold created by sculptor Clark Mills on or about February 12, 1865.
Summary
The Life Mask of Abraham Lincoln at the American Museum of Natural History featured a bronze cast of a mold created by sculptor Clark Mills on or about February 12, 1865. The bronze belonged to Clarence Hay, Honorary Museum Trustee and Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology, who was the son of John Hay, one of Lincoln's private secretaries. Curator Harry L. Shapiro used the mold for a physical heritage study, which he published in an article titled "Was Lincoln a Mountaineer?" in the February 1953 issue of Natural History Magazine. Also on view was a bronze of Lincoln's right hand by Leonard Wells Volk. The life mask was on view every year from 1953 to 1968 (1; 2).
This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.