Five Versions of the Gettysburg Address
Earlier this month, the Library of Congress paired with Levenger to produce a new edition of Long Remembered: Lincoln and his Five Versions of the Gettysburg Address. It has long been held that Abraham Lincoln wrote at least five drafts of his famous address, differing in word choice, punctuation, and structure. Two of the five versions of the famous speech--the John G. Nicolay copy and the John Hay copy--are housed at the LOC (in a low-temperature vault). The other three are the Everett-Keyes copy at the Illinois State Historical Library, the Bancroft copy at the Cornell University Library, and the Bliss copy, which lives at the White House. Back in 1963, the LOC produced a black-and-white facsimile of the five versions of the Gettysburg Address to commemorate the centennial. This new edition is a full-color, full-size facsimile with unbound facsimiles stored in a back pocket.
The slim volume bound in vivid red cloth also includes reproductions of maps, photographs, telegrams, and letters on the battle, all from the LOC's archives. In addition to the original text by the LOC's David D. Mearns and Lloyd A. Dunlap, this new edition features commentary by Lincoln historian Douglas L. Wilson and retired LOC curator John R. Sellers, who discusses his experiences working with the Lincoln documents in the library's manuscript division.
For Lincoln and Civil War bibliophiles, of which there are many, this is a good looking and well made book for your home library.
