Alfred Whital Stern (1881-1960) of Chicago presented his outstanding collection of Lincolniana to the Library of Congress in 1953. Begun by Mr. Stern in the 1920s, the collection documents the life of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) both through writings by and about Lincoln as well as a large body of publications concerning the issues of the times including slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and related topics.

The collection contains more than 11,100 items. This online release presents more than 1,300 items with more than 4,000 images and a date range of 1824-1931. It includes the complete collection of Stern’s contemporary newspapers, Lincoln’s law papers, sheet music, broadsides, prints, cartoons, maps, drawings, letters, campaign tickets, and other ephemeral items. The books and pamphlets in this collection are scheduled for digitization at a later date.

Highlights of the online collection include Lincoln’s own scrapbook of the 1858 political campaign against Stephen A. Douglas; the Tiffany seed pearl necklace and bracelets that Lincoln gave to his wife, Mary Todd; a Lincoln life mask cast in bronze by Clark Mills, as well as the contents of Lincoln’s pockets on the evening of his assassination. Probably the single most famous Lincoln manuscript in the collection is the January 26, 1863, letter to General Joseph Hooker, placing him in command of the Army of the Potomac.