Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – It doesn’t usually get put on display this time of year at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
But, connected to the January 1 signing anniversary, the museum is putting on public display a signed copy of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
“There are certain documents, certain acts, that are just fundamentally a part of Lincoln’s legacy,” said Chris Wills, spokesperson, on the WTAX Morning Newswatch. “The act of freeing four million enslaved people is a big part of it. So, we definitely wanted to include the Emancipation Proclamation.”
Wills refers to the document being included in the current “Lincoln: A Life and Legacy That Defined a Nation” exhibit.
Wills says normally it’s on display around Juneteenth, but the museum is using some technology to try to keep it from deteriorating further.
“We’ve got a special case that goes black when it’s not being used by a visitor,” said Wills. “Instead of just having a document out in the light 24 hours a day, it’s kept in the dark except when someone comes up and presses a button. Then, it’s revealed.
Wills says that a number of documents that will be on display will be preserved that same way.
“Lincoln: A Life and Legacy That Defined a Nation” continues to be on exhibit through April 26, 2026, with a companion book available for sale. The Emancipation Proclamation is only available until February 3, 2026.
