After Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States but before he left for Washington, a group of friends bought him this suite of furniture presumably to take to Washington, DC. The heavy, ornate furniture was never used by Mr. Lincoln. It stayed in storage. Sometime after his tragic death the president of the University of Kentucky acquired the suite. In time he donated it to the State of Illinois. It fills a sunny second floor bedroom in the Executive Mansion in Springfield.

These bedrooms are used for overnight guests of the Governor and his family. The artist spent a night there following an exhibition at the Mansion. Those are her slippers by the bed.

Springfield, Illinois

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This watercolor painting is part of a larger historical painting series by Kay Smith, Artist Laureate of Illinois.
Visit Kay Smith's website to see additional paintings.