Editing Lincoln Memorial (section)

==Interior==
[[File:Lincoln Memorial, "I Have a Dream" 50th anniversary.jpg|thumb|President [[Barack Obama]], First Lady [[Michelle Obama]], and former presidents [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Bill Clinton]] walk past President Lincoln's statue to participate in the 50th anniversary ceremony of the historic [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom|March on Washington]] and [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]'s "[[I Have a Dream]]" speech]]
The Memorial's interior is divided into three chambers by two rows of four [[Ionic column]]s, each {{convert|50|ft|m}} tall and {{convert|5.5|ft|m}} across at their base. The central chamber, housing the statue of Lincoln, is {{convert|60|ft|m}} wide, {{convert|74|ft|m}} deep, and {{convert|60|ft|m}} high.<ref>U. S. Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks. [https://www.nps.gov/linc/learn/historyculture/lincoln-memorial-building-statistics.htm ''Lincoln Memorial Building Statistics'']</ref> The north and south chambers display carved inscriptions of Lincoln's [[Lincoln's second inaugural address|second inaugural address]] and his [[Gettysburg Address]].{{efn|name=fn3|In the line from the second inaugural, "With high hope for the future," the ''F'' in ''FUTURE'' was carved as an ''E''. To obscure this error the spurious bottom line of the E is not painted in with black paint.}} Bordering these inscriptions are [[pilaster]]s ornamented with [[fasces]], eagles, and wreaths. The inscriptions and adjoining ornamentation are by [[Evelyn Beatrice Longman]].<ref name=nrhp2/>

The Memorial is replete with symbolic elements. The 36 columns represent the states of the Union at the time of [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln's death]]; the 48 stone festoons above the columns represent the 48 states in 1922. Inside, each inscription is surmounted by a {{convert|60|by|12|ft|m|adj=on}} mural by [[Jules Guerin]] portraying principles seen as evident in Lincoln's life: Freedom, Liberty, Morality, Justice, and the Law on the south wall; Unity, Fraternity, and Charity on the north. Cypress trees, representing Eternity, are in the murals' backgrounds. The murals' paint incorporated kerosene and wax to protect the exposed artwork from fluctuations in temperature and moisture.<ref name=nrhp3>NRHP Nomination, p. 3</ref>

The ceiling consists of bronze girders ornamented with laurel and oak leaves. Between these are panels of [[Sylacauga marble|Alabama marble]], saturated with [[Mineral oil|paraffin]] to increase translucency. But feeling that the statue required even more light, Bacon and French designed metal slats for the ceiling to conceal floodlights, which could be modulated to supplement the natural light; this modification was installed in 1929. The one major alteration since was the addition of an elevator for the disabled in the 1970s.<ref name=nrhp3/>

===Statue===
{{Main|Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln Memorial)}}
[[File:The Lincoln Memorial Statue, with inscription in background.jpg|thumb|''[[Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln Memorial)|Abraham Lincoln]]'', by [[Daniel Chester French]], in 1920]]
Lying between the north and south chambers of the open-air Memorial is the central hall, which contains the large solitary figure of Abraham Lincoln sitting in contemplation. Its sculptor, [[Daniel Chester French]], supervised the six [[Piccirilli Brothers|Piccirilli brothers]] (Ferruccio, Attilio, Furio, Masaniello, Orazio, and Getulio) in its construction, and it took four years to complete.

The {{convert|175|ST|MT|adj=on|lk=on}} statue, carved from Georgia white marble, was shipped in 28 pieces.<ref name=nrhp3/> Originally intended to be only {{convert|10|ft|m}} tall, the sculpture was enlarged to {{convert|19|ft|m}} from head to foot considering it would look small within the extensive interior space.<ref name="dupre">{{cite book|last=Dupré, Judith|author-link=Judith Dupré| date= 2007 | title= Monuments: America's History in Art and Memory | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6kUaAQAAIAAJ | location=New York | publisher= Random House | pages= 86–95| isbn=978-1-4000-6582-0}}</ref> If Lincoln were depicted standing, he would be {{convert|28|ft|m}} tall.

The widest span of the statue corresponds to its height, and it rests upon an oblong pedestal of Tennessee marble {{convert|10|ft|m}} high, {{convert|16|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|17|ft|m}} deep. Directly beneath this lies a platform of Tennessee marble about {{convert|34.5|ft|m}} long, {{convert|28|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|6.5|in|m}} high. Lincoln's arms rest on representations of Roman  fasces, a subtle touch that associates the statue with the Augustan (and imperial) theme (obelisk and funerary monuments) of the Washington Mall.<ref>See [[Edmund Buchner|Buchner, Edmund]] (1976). "''Solarium Augusti'' und Ara Pacis", Römische Mitteilungen 83: 319–375; (1988). ''Die Sonnenuhr des Augustus: Kaiser Augustus und die verlorene Republik'' (Berlin); P. Zanker [http://www.uark.edu/ua/metis2/zanker/zanker_txt2.html The Augustan Program of Cultural Renewal] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120530141305/http://www.uark.edu/ua/metis2/zanker/zanker_txt2.html |date=2012-05-30 }} for a full discussion of the [[Solarium Augusti|Augustan solarium]] and its architectural features.</ref> The statue is discretely bordered by two pilasters, one on each side. Between these pilasters, and above Lincoln's head, is engraved an epitaph of Lincoln<ref name=nrhp3/> by [[Royal Cortissoz]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lincoln Memorial Design Individuals |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |url=http://www.nps.gov/linc/historyculture/lincoln-memorial-design-individuals.htm |access-date=2009-11-02}}</ref>  It is important to note that regardless of the aforementioned design intent of the "Roman" fasces, the fasces are features of Etruscan political institutions that were adopted by the Romans, and according to Silius Italicus, these fasce originate from the city of Vetulonia, Italy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pallottino |first=Massimo |title=The Etruscans |publisher=Allen Lane (Division of Penguin Books) |year=1975 |isbn=0-7139-0218-3 |edition=6th |location=London, UK |publication-date=1974 |pages=129–130 |language=en |trans-title=The Etruscans}}</ref>

{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 101%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:22em; max-width:50%" cellspacing="5"
| align="center"|
'''IN THIS TEMPLE'''<br />
'''AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE'''<br />
'''FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION'''<br />
'''THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'''<br />
'''IS ENSHRINED FOREVER'''
|-
| align="right"|&mdash;Epitaph by [[Royal Cortissoz]]
|}

====Sculptural features====
[[File:Lincoln Memorial.jpg|thumb|The sculptor's possible use of sign language is speculated, since the statue's left hand forms an "A" while the right hand portrays an "L".]]

An [[urban legend]] holds that the face of General [[Robert E. Lee]] is carved onto the back of Lincoln's head,<ref name=npsfaq /> and looks back across the Potomac toward his former home, [[Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial|Arlington House]] (now within the bounds of [[Arlington National Cemetery]]). Another popular legend is that Lincoln's hands are shown using [[sign language]] to represent his initials, his left hand signing an ''A'' and his right signing an ''L''. The National Park Service denies both legends.<ref name=npsfaq>[http://www.nps.gov/linc/faqs.htm "Lincoln Memorial: Frequently Asked Questions"] on the [[National Park Service]] website</ref>

However, historian Gerald Prokopowicz writes that, while it is not clear that sculptor Daniel Chester French intended Lincoln's hands to be formed into sign language versions of his initials, it is possible that French did intend it. French was familiar with [[American Sign Language]], and he would have had a reason to do so, to pay tribute to Lincoln for having signed the federal legislation giving [[Gallaudet University]], a university for the deaf, the authority to grant college degrees.<ref>Prokopowicz, Gerald J. (2008) ''Did Lincoln Own Slaves? And Other Frequently Asked Questions About Abraham Lincoln''. Pantheon. {{ISBN|978-0-375-42541-7}}</ref> The [[National Geographic Society]]'s publication "Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C." states that Daniel Chester French had a son who was deaf and that the sculptor was familiar with sign language.<ref>Evelyn, Douglas E. and Dickson, Paul A. (1999) ''On this Spot: Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C.'' [[National Geographic Society]]. {{ISBN|0-7922-7499-7}}</ref><ref>[http://library.gallaudet.edu/Library/Deaf_Research_Help/Frequently_Asked_Questions_(FAQs)/OtherMiscellaneous/Lincoln_Memorial_Statue.html Library.gallaudet.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104223348/http://library.gallaudet.edu/Library/Deaf_Research_Help/Frequently_Asked_Questions_%28FAQs%29/OtherMiscellaneous/Lincoln_Memorial_Statue.html |date=2009-01-04 }}</ref> Historian James A. Percoco has observed that, although there are no extant documents showing that French had Lincoln's hands carved to represent the letters "A" and "L" in American Sign Language, "I think you can conclude that it's reasonable to have that kind of summation about the hands."<ref>Percoco, James A., speech given on April 17, 2008, in the Jefferson Room of the [[National Archives and Records Administration]] as part of the National Archive's "Noontime Programs" lecture series. [https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-66.html Broadcast on the C-Span cable television network on April 4 and April 5, 2009.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032009/https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-66.html |date=January 26, 2021 }} [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/204737-1 c-spanvideo.org]</ref>

===Undercroft===
Below the memorial is an [[undercroft]]. During construction, [[graffiti]] was scrawled on it by workers,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Avery|first=Jim|date=July 19, 2017|title=5 World-Famous Landmarks That Have Totally Weirdo Secrets|url=https://www.cracked.com/article_24904_5-famous-buildings-with-bizarre-hidden-easter-eggs.html|access-date=June 30, 2021|website=Cracked}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Rivera and Weinstein|first=Gloria and Janet|date=September 2, 2016|title=Take a 'Historic Graffiti' Tour Under the Lincoln Memorial|work=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/historic-graffiti-tour-lincoln-memorial/story?id=41805221|access-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> which is considered historical by the [[National Park Service]].<ref name=":0" /> During the 1970s and 1980s, there were regular tours of the undercroft.<ref>Hodge, Paul (October 27, 1977) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1977/10/27/whats-afoot-under-abe-lincolns-feet/f48997a6-1f6a-466d-b3fe-2b9ad2db4532/ "What's Afoot Under Abe Lincoln's Feet?"] ''[[The Washington Post]]''</ref> The tours stopped abruptly in 1989 after a visitor noticed [[asbestos]] and notified the Service.<ref>Twoomey, Steve (April 9, 1990) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1990/04/09/monuments-losing-battle-with-erosion/1c59551e-bdc4-4c0c-9cf7-47e51c74da7c/ "Monuments Losing Battle with Erosion"] ''[[The Washington Post]]''</ref> Due to water seeping through the calcium carbonate within the marble, over time [[stalactite]]s and [[stalagmite]]s have formed within it.<ref>[[United Press]] (August 28, 1957) [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19570828&id=znIzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zu4HAAAAIBAJ&pg=4867,7051275 "Lincoln Memorial has some stalactites"] ''[[Lodi News-Sentinel]]''</ref> 

[[File:Lincoln Memorial Temporary Ramp.jpg|thumb|A temporary ramp put in place during construction work in the undercroft, photographed in 2024]]
For the memorial's centennial in 2022, the undercroft is planned to be open to visitors following a rehabilitation project funded by [[David Rubenstein]].<ref>Staff (ndg) [https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=66405 "Lincoln Center Rehabilitation"] [[National Park Service]] website</ref><ref>Reid, Chip (November 23, 2016) [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lincoln-memorial-prepares-for-long-awaited-makeover-david-rubenstein/ "Lincoln Memorial to get long-awaited makeover, underground visitor's center"] [[CBS News]]</ref> Work started on the $69 million project in 2023 with expected completion by 2026.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last1=Kuta |first1=Sarah |title=The Lincoln Memorial Is Getting a New Underground Museum |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lincoln-memorial-new-underground-museum-2026-180981736/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Through the renovation, the undercroft will become a visitor area with a museum, theater, store and exhibit section. It is expected to only take up 15,000 square feet of the 50,000 square-foot undercroft. The plan, as of 2024, is for the space to include six floor-to-ceiling glass walls that will provide views of the cathedral-like interior of the undercroft, and an immersive theater presentation that will project images of historic events onto screens and the undercroft’s pillars.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ruane |first=Michael E. |date=11 December 2024 |title=Beneath the Lincoln Memorial, a vast space is being transformed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/12/11/lincoln-memorial-undercroft-national-park-service-visitor-area-musem/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211140118/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/12/11/lincoln-memorial-undercroft-national-park-service-visitor-area-musem/ |archive-date=11 December 2024 |access-date=11 December 2024 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>