On Feb. 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. He went on to become the 16th president of the United States, known as the Great Emancipator. His birthday has been celebrated around the country since 1866 — the year after his assassination — and he remains one of our nation’s most popular presidents.

While you may know all of the above facts, you may not be aware that Wayne State University has a large collection of Civil War- and Lincoln-related books and artifacts as part of the University Libraries Special Collections. 

The collection’s non-book portion includes a locket containing a lock of Lincoln’s hair along with an affidavit of authenticity, a bloodied piece of bunting from the theatre box where Lincoln was assassinated and an invitation to one of Lincoln’s inaugural balls in 1861. Other items of interest include silhouette portraits created from sittings with Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd; the purported “sister pistol” to the gun used to kill the president; and a number of letters written to and from Lincoln.

“One of the letters is signed ‘Abraham Lincoln,’ which is quite rare because he usually signed ‘A. Lincoln,’” said Cynthia Krolikowski, special collections coordinator and history librarian.

In the 1950s, the university bought thousands of books and artifacts from Frank Howard, a well-known Michigan Civil War and Lincoln collector. This was likely done under the direction of G. Flint Purdy, during his tenure as the university’s director of libraries.

“At the time, the primary interest was in the books and increasing the Civil War collection,” said Don Breneau, a retired librarian who worked for Wayne State from 1959 to 1999. “They didn’t pay a great deal of attention to the artifacts.”

The collection also includes manuscripts, periodicals and postcards that are available as research and curriculum material.

“Our special collections are wonderful primary sources,” said Krolikowski. “I like the fact that we have this collection; I think it’s just wonderful.”

WSU Libraries also have many other special collections, including the Simons Collection on the history of Michigan and the Northwest Territories, and the Kasle Collection, which contains materials on Judaic-Christian heritage. Krolikowski invites students, faculty and staff to learn more about its offerings by visiting guides.lib.wayne.edu/SpecialCollections or emailing ac4979@wayne.edu.

For more information on the Frank Howard Collection of Civil War History, visit guides.lib.wayne.edu/c.php?g=174935&p=1152640