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Grief is a very personal experience. But there’s a public component to it as well, especially when it plays out on a national scale.
The latest exhibition at the Indiana State Museum, “So Costly a Sacrifice: Lincoln and Loss” (through July 5), deals with the most significant public processing of death in U.S. history as it relates to both the massive casualties of the Civil War and the assassination of the 16th president and its aftermath.
Just as it’s nearly impossible to overstate or imagine the carnage of a war where about 2-1/2 percent of the population perished, it’s also difficult to imagine the impact on the national psyche of the nation when, with those wounds still open, it so violently lost its leader. The fact that his death happened over Easter weekend only magnified the impact and implications of an already country-shattering event.
Gov. Morton’s declarationis among artifacts in new Indiana State Museum show. (Photos courtesy of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites)Including objects from the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection and the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites core collection, “So Costly a Sacrifice” attempts to cover a big, multi-faceted subject worthy of five times the space it has available. Thoughtful and evocative—if limited—it’s an exhibition worth taking time with, since its narrative gears change throughout.
One area, for instance, focuses on mortality in 19th-century America, with an emphasis on mourning garb. A section
devoted to the war includes such objects as a surgeon’s kit, artillery shell and a Gatling gun. Another deals directly with Lincoln’s assassination, including a Booth wanted poster, a banner from Ford’s Theater, and an array of newspaper front pages. Some of the objects might seem simple, but their implications run deep.
A soldier’s jacket helps remind viewers of the vulnerability of Civil War troops.Lincoln’s funeral procession—including materials used in the buildup to its rained-out visit to Indianapolis—are featured along with an interactive that explores the route taken. There’s also a side trip into objects related to the death of Lincoln’s own son, Willie. To be sure, this isn’t an exhibit for the faint of heart. But it is one that dares to tread into uncomfortable territory.
“So Costly a Sacrifice”—as with most Indiana State Museum exhibitions—is a show that prides itself on authenticity. But there’s also an acknowledgment of the objects allegedly—but in truth unlikely—tied to Lincoln. These objects, such as a splinter of wood from Booth’s autopsy table and a strand of rope used to hang one of the conspirators, are interesting not because they are the real deal, but because of what they say about the desire to own a piece of such world-changing events.•
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This column appears weekly. Send information on upcoming arts and entertainment events to lharry@ibj.com.
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