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100 YEARS OF THE
LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Saturday, May 28, 2022

In today’s newsletter, visualizing our nation’s ‘better angel’, discovering a submerged jewel of the ancient world, getting wisdom from a legendary geisha … and visiting the model of the heavenly Shangri-La.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HARRIS & EWING, GETTY IMAGES

Today, Americans know the Lincoln Memorial as the stage for some of the most momentous events in U.S. history—Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Marian Anderson’s triumphal concert, and more recently, singers Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen performing ahead of President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

A century ago, however, it was just another building under construction (below) or a stately backdrop for ice skating on the Reflecting Pool (above). A hundred years ago Monday, this symbol of a nation’s unity was dedicated.

See our full story here. A gallery of images is here.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HARRIS & EWING, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The centerpiece of the neoclassical memorial is the sculpture of a sitting Abraham Lincoln (below left), looking troubled by the Civil War—one hand clenched in determination, one hand open to compassion and new ideas. Sculptor Daniel Chester French (below, right, with an early model) understood the implication of celebrating the nation’s unifier in the years after World War I, a time of heightened anti-immigrant and racist violence, “most notably the rise of the KKK,” says Harry Rubenstein, a curator emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; RIGHT: PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY CHESTERWOOD

The statue and memorial have endured through a nation’s torment (below, during 1963’s March on Washington, a key moment in the fight for civil rights) as well as quiet moments for tourists (farther down).

See a collection of images from the memorial here—and read about its creation. Thank you.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY BETTMANN ARCHIVE, GETTY IMAGES

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAUL TOUZON, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

STORIES WE'RE FOLLOWING

This wondrous ancient city disappeared into the sea. Now it has been rediscovered.

What can you learn from visiting every nation on Earth?

How climate change is stealing your sleep

See: These oddball galaxies are missing their dark matter

Memorial Day’s strange beginnings

What the model for the legendary Shangri-La looks like today

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY NORIKO HAYASHI, @NORIKOHAYASHI_PHOTO

Geisha: That has been Ikuko Akasaka’s job title for 64 years. At 82, she is still performing—and that means a weekly regimen of weight training, running, and stretching (shown above from our Instagram page). “Even if I am very busy and tired, I never skip this exercise," Akasaka tells photographer Noriko Hayashi. Why? Wearing a kimono and a heavy wig for several hours, a geisha must be able to serve drinks, dance, and help customers enjoy their time. “To stay healthy is to have a desire for life and to show gratitude for others,” she says. “If you hate people, you can't live.” Japan is among Nat Geo’s 25 top destinations this year.

BEST OF THE WORLD

IN A FEW WORDS

QUOTE

When I photograph the night sky, I can communicate with the stars. They are like my friends. The night sky is like my second home.

Photographer, Nat Geo Explorer

Related: See the newest class of Nat Geo Explorers

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY VITTORIO SELLA

Lush detail: Not only was Vittorio Sella a renowned alpine climber, he often carried a bulky camera and large format glass plate negatives with him. He did so on a 1923 expedition to the glaciers of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. That’s where he shot this unpublished photo of flowers in a meadow, unearthed by Nat Geo Society’s senior photo archivist, Sara Manco. “Because of the large format medium,” she says, “the photos are lush and full of beautiful detail.” See more archival selections in our Photo of the Day collection.

SEE VINTAGE PHOTOS

This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Jen Tse, and Monica Williams. Amanda Williams-Bryant, Rita Spinks, Jeremy Brandt-Vorel, and Hobbs Bell also contributed this week. Have an idea or a link? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!

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