Lincoln Home Historic Furnishings Report

SECTION D: EVIDENCE OF ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS

INTRODUCTION

The evidence of original Lincoln Home furnishings includes a wide variety of sources: drawings and photographs, contemporary accounts, evidence of the 1861 sale of Lincoln furniture, Springfield account books which list Lincoln family purchases, existing furniture, and records of furniture which is now missing. As new documentation is found, it should be added to this report. One area which needs further research is past exhibitions (such as state centennial exhibitions) of Lincolniana.

This material has been organized by location within the house (first floor, kitchen, and second floor furnishings) with separate sections on accessory furnishings, floor coverings, textiles, and wallpaper. The first floor furnishings are also divided into well-documented items and not well-documented items and are listed alphabetically by type of artifact. The contemporary accounts and pictorial evidence are discussed separately and by reference in the discussions of different areas.