I still don’t get what is so wrong with this shirt that Eric Wittenberg found in the gift shop at the Gettysburg Visitor Center. At first I thought that Lincoln was reacting to a gun shot, which would seem inappropriate, but I quickly realized that “Old Abe” was kickin’ some new dance moves. It’s a pretty hip design and what’s more American than having some fun with our historical figures. In fact, I am going to purchase one next time I am in Gettysburg.
Which reminds me, I am going to be in Gettysburg in July as a participant in this summer’s Civil War Preservation Trust workshop for teachers. On Saturday night I am taking part in a roundtable discussion on the role of technology and social networking tools in the classroom. Check out the website and register for what promises to be a dynamite list of talks and tours of the Gettysburg battlefield.
[Image from Rantings of a Civil War Historian]
And you are all waiting for Mr. Lincoln’s playlist, of course:
Twenty Years Ago
Rock of Ages
The Ship on Fire
Mary of Argyle
Dixie’s Land
He Doeth All Things Well
Marseillaise
Blue-Tail Fly
Your Mission
Annie Laurie
Sword of Bunker Hill
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Constructed on the fly thanks to the work of Kenneth Bernard in his _Lincoln and the Music of the Civil War_. I included some of what Bernard considered Lincoln’s favorites, as well as a few items he requested from musicians. (Please note this is hypothetical and I suspect our 16th president could have added others, and perhaps cut some of those I’ve listed above.) And before anyone rushes to get the sheet music: several of these songs were set by more than one composer and it may not be possible to know exactly which setting was sung…
Confession: I have a t-shirt with Washington wearing headphones.
If I could find this shirt, I would be sorely tempted to wear it at the next SAM convention I attend.
LOVE this shirt – just bought it at the Gettysburg Visitor’s Ctr! 🙂
That shirt rocks. Lincoln is one of the hippest presidents.
Lincoln not only was known for having a marvelous sense of humor and a great love of having fun, he was also fascinated by science and technology (He still is our only president who had an invention patented. True, it never got off the ground commercially, but it still qualified for patent protection.). If Lincoln were alive today, I’m sure he’d have an IPod. BTW, I bought that t-shirt AT the GNMP bookstore. I love it. Heck, I even loved the clacking Lincoln head.
For what it’s worth, I first saw this shirt at the ALPLM gift shop in Springfield. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s kinda cool.
Lincoln was, of course, well-known for his somber sense of self-importance and haughty grandeur. 😉
No opinion one way or another about the Visitor Center and its selection of merchandise, but this shirt is pretty clever. Seriously, most of these people need to get over themselves.
I’d buy one. Does it come in red?
Andy,
I definitely don’t want to make too big a deal about this. Eric is certainly entitled to his opinion, but I agree with you. It’s a pretty cool design and I am definitely going to pick one up in July.
Point taken. Then again, I thought Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was a fun idea for a book, too.
I’m sure I will eventually get around to reading the vampire book. Sounds like fun.