Bust of Abraham Lincoln (Indianapolis)

Public artwork by Thomas Dow Jones

Abraham Lincoln

Artist| Thomas Dow Jones
Year| 1862
Type| Plaster
Dimensions| 83.82 cm × 63.5 cm × 45.72 cm (33 in × 25 in × 18 in)
Location| Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis

Abraham Lincoln is a public artwork by American sculptor and medallist Thomas Dow Jones, located in the Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The painted plaster bust of Abraham Lincoln that resides in the Indiana Statehouse is a copy of an 1861 clay bust. Several versions of the bust exist in plaster, marble, and bronze mediums.

Thomas Dow Jones' original 1861 bust was re-sculpted (by the artist) into marble as part of the Lincoln Vicksburg Monument that was installed in the Ohio Statehouse in 1871. Another copy of the bust was cast into bronze and is part of the Southern Allghenies Museum of Art's permanent sculpture collection (74.011) in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Jones' bust of Lincoln is also in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (NPG.74.53) in Washington, D.C.[1]

## Description

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The white plaster bust depicts Abraham Lincoln in a left-facing quarter-profile; the figure is draped in a cape, wearing a suit and stock tie.[2] The dimensions are as follows: height: 33 inches (84 cm), width: 25 inches (64 cm), length: 18 inches (46 cm). The bust is clearly inscribed Patented June 3, 1862 on the lower proper left. "TD Jones, sculptor" is inscribed on the bust's posterior center. As this is a copy of the original clay bust, the artist's signature on the posterior center is not clear. The bust is situated on a white, wooden base in the northeast exterior niche of the Indiana Statehouse rotunda. A gold plaque is located beneath the stone niche; although not attached to the sculpture,[2] it describes the subject matter, reading:

Abraham Lincoln
Born Feb.12, 1809—Died Apr. 15, 1865
Came to Indiana 1816
Served in Black Hawk War, 1832
Illinois House of Representatives, 1834-1841
Congressman from Illinois, 1847-1849
U.S. President, Mar. 4, 1861 until his death Apr. 15, 1865

## Historical information

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The Indiana Statehouse' plaster bust of Lincoln was patented June 3, 1862. Thomas Dow Jones' original bronze sculpture was cast in 1861 and is believed to be one of the earliest depictions of a bearded Abraham Lincoln.

Thomas Dow Jones was commissioned by the leading Republicans of Cincinnati to sculpt a portrait bust of president-elect Lincoln before his inauguration in March 1861.[3] Jones arrived in Springfield on Christmas Day with letters of recommendation from two of his most recent clients, Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase and Thomas Ewing (General William T. Sherman's father-in-law).[4] Lincoln consented to sit for Thomas Dow Jones and gave him permission to sculpt the president-elect's likeness at the St. Nicholas Hotel in Springfield, Illinois until Lincoln's inauguration.[3]

### Location history

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In its time at the Indiana Statehouse, Lincoln's bust has been moved to a number of niches around the rotunda. In 1943, it was located in the southeast corner pier facing east.[5] In 1964, Lincoln's bust was moved again to the west side of the rotunda to allow Governor Henry F. Schricker's bust to be placed in a more prominent position facing the east door.[6] The bust currently occupies the exterior northeast niche of the rotunda.

## Condition

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According to the MIMSY XG Database employed by the Indiana State Museum, the condition of the bust is recorded as 'very good'; there are very few marks/scratches on the proper right and left sides of the bust.[2]

## References

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1. ^ Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. "Art Inventories Catalog." Accession number NPG.74.53. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
2. ^ a b c Indiana State Museum. Bust of Abraham Lincoln, ID 99.2006.020.0070. 15 May 2006. Retrieved from Indiana State Museum Mimsy Database 18 November 2010.
3. ^ a b Southern Allghenies Museum of Art Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 4 December 2010.
4. ^ Ohio Statehouse Archived 2011-06-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 4 December 2010
5. ^ Indiana State House. "Plaster and Bronze Busts and Statues in the Niches in the Central Rotunda of the State House." October 14, 1943. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
6. ^ John H. Lyst, Indianapolis Star. " Statue Of Lincoln In Statehouse Moved To Make Way For Schricker". October 27, 1964. Retrieved 3 December 2010.

## External links

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* Lincoln Vicksburg Monument, Ohio Statehouse
* Southern Allghenies Museum of Art
* Abraham Lincoln Bust in National Portrait Gallery
* Images of Bust of Abraham Lincoln (Jones) in Flickr

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Abraham Lincoln

* 16th President of the United States (1861–1865)
* U.S. Representative for IL–7 (1847–1849)

Presidency|

* Transition
* First inauguration
* Perpetual Union
* Lincoln Bible
* Second inauguration
* Civil War
* Confiscation Acts
* President Lincoln's 75,000 volunteers
* War based income tax
* Seaports blockade
* RMS Trent Affair
* Habeas Corpus suspended
* Emancipation Proclamation
* West Virginia statehood
* Overland Campaign strategy
* Hampton Roads Conference
* Tour of Richmond
* Ten percent plan
* Reconstruction
* Foreign policy
* 13th Amendment abolishing slavery
* Dakota War of 1862
* Department of the Northwest
* Homestead Act of 1862
* National Banking Acts
* Thanksgiving Day
* Fanny McCullough letter
* Birchard Letter
* Bixby letter
* National Academy of Sciences
* Department of Agriculture
* Pardons
* State of the Union Address, 1863
* 1864
* Cabinet
* Judicial appointments

Speeches|

* Lyceum address (1838)
* Peoria speech (1854)
* "Lost Speech" (1856)
* House Divided speech (1858)
* Lincoln–Douglas debates (1858)
* Cooper Union Address (1860)
* Farewell Address (1861)
* First inaugural address (1861)
* Gettysburg Address (1863, event)
* Second inaugural address (1865)

Life
and views|

* Early life and career
* Black Hawk War
* Matson Trial
* Spot Resolutions
* Boat lifting patent
* Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Co.
* Baltimore Plot
* Lincoln's beard
* Medical and mental health
* Poetry
* Political career, 1849–1861
* Religious views
* Sexuality
* Slavery

Homes
and places|

* Lincoln Birthplace
* Knob Creek Farm
* Lincoln Boyhood Memorial
* Lincoln State Park
* Little Pigeon Creek Community
* Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial
* Lincoln's New Salem
* Lincoln-Berry General Store
* Lincoln Home
* Cottage at the Soldier's Home
* Lincoln Bedroom
* Lincoln Sitting Room
* Lincoln Pioneer Village
* Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site

Elections|

* Republican National Convention, 1856
* 1860
* 1864
* National Union Party
* 1860 United States presidential election
* 1864
* 1860 campaign song

Assassination|

* Ford's Theater
* Our American Cousin
* opera
* John Wilkes Booth
* "Sic semper tyrannis"
* Petersen House
* State funeral
* Lincoln catafalque
* Lincoln Tomb
* "O Captain! My Captain!"
* "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd"

Legacy and
memorials|

* Presidential Library and Museum
* Papers
* Lincoln/Net
* Artifacts and relics
* Bibliography
* Birthday
* Photographs of Lincoln
* Cultural depictions
* films
* Art
* Currency
* Illinois Centennial half dollar
* Lincoln penny
* Five-dollar bill
* Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins
* Postage stamps
* Abraham Lincoln Association
* Abraham Lincoln Institute
* Association of Lincoln Presenters
* USS Abraham Lincoln (1960,
* 1988)
* Here I Grew Up mosaic
* Lincoln Highway
* Lincoln, Nebraska
* Lincoln Park (Chicago)
* Lincoln Park (D.C.)
* Lincoln Prize
* Lincoln Heritage Trail
* Lincoln Trail State Memorial
* Lincoln–Kennedy coincidences
* Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
* White House ghost

| Statues|

* Lincoln Memorial
* statue
* reflecting pool
* Mount Rushmore
* Abraham Lincoln: The Man
* Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State
* Lincoln the Lawyer
* Young Abe Lincoln
* Emancipation Memorial
* Brooklyn relief
* Cincinnati
* D.C. City Hall
* Hodgenville, Kentucky
* Indianapolis relief
* Laramie, Wyoming
* Lincoln, Nebraska
* Los Angeles
* Louisville, Kentucky
* Newark, New Jersey
* New York City
* Parliament Square, London
* Philadelphia
* Rochester
* U.S. Capitol bust
* U.S. Capitol statue
* Wabash, Indiana

|

Family|

* Family tree
* Mary Todd Lincoln (wife)
* Robert Todd Lincoln (son)
* Edward Baker Lincoln (son)
* William Wallace Lincoln (son)
* Thomas "Tad" Lincoln III (son)
* Mary Todd "Mamie" Lincoln (granddaughter)
* Jessie Harlan Lincoln (granddaughter)
* Thomas Lincoln (father)
* Nancy Hanks Lincoln (mother)
* Sarah Bush Lincoln (stepmother)
* Sarah Lincoln Grigsby (sister)
* Abraham Lincoln (grandfather)
* Mordecai Lincoln (uncle)
* Mary Lincoln Crume (aunt)
* John Hanks (cousin)
* Joseph Hanks (great-grandfather)
* Samuel Lincoln (17th-century ancestor)
* Mary Lincoln Beckwith (great-granddaughter)
* Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith (great-grandson)
* Old Bob (horse)
* Fido (dog)

* ← James Buchanan
* Andrew Johnson →

* Category
* Outline

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Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection

Interior artworks|

* Bust of Abraham Lincoln
* Bust of Ashbel Parsons Willard
* Bust of Benjamin Harrison
* Bust of Calvin Fletcher
* Bust of Daniel W. Voorhees
* Bust of Frank O'Bannon
* Bust of George Rogers Clark
* Bust of Henry F. Schricker
* Bust of Matthew E. Welsh
* Bust of Otis Bowen
* Bust of Richard Owen
* Bust of Robert D. Orr
* Bust of Sherman Minton
* Bust of Stephen Neal
* Bust of William H. English
* Frances Elizabeth Willard
* George Washington
* Here I Grew Up
* Indiana
* Indiana State Stone
* Plaque Commemorating First Formal Religious Service, Indianapolis
* Sarah T. Bolton
* Spirit of Indiana
* Values of Civilization
* Wendell Willkie

Exterior artworks|

* Abraham Lincoln plaque
* Christopher Columbus
* Coal Miner
* Tulip to Life
* Thomas A. Hendricks
* Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial
* Oliver P. Morton
* Robert Dale Owen
* The Westward Journey (Indians, Reaper, Blacksmith, Pioneer Family)
* George Washington
* Workers' Memorial
* Young Abe Lincoln

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