Coin purse

Unknown

ca. 1909 · metal, silk · Costume Institute

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), served as the sixteenth president of the United States and led the nation through the American civil war (1861-1865). His strong leadership during this period, followed by his tragic assassination, elevated Lincoln to a national icon, revered for his political actions as well as his stirring speeches. The centennial of Lincoln's birth was celebrated in 1909 with the minting of the Lincoln penny and special festivities across the country. This handbag may have been a commemorative souvenir from that year. The image of a youthful Lincoln veiled by wire mesh makes this object an arresting and rare fashion-related memento of a towering figure in American history.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1909

Medium

metal, silk

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Louis M. Doup, 1941