One Life: The Mask of Lincoln November 7, 2008

To both his contemporaries and posterity, Lincoln has been an endless subject of mystery and fascination. "One Life: The Mask of Lincoln" examines how Lincoln used the new art of photography to convey his image to Americans, letting them see in him what they most desired. The National Portrait Gallery will commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth with this exhibition that draws on the museum's extensive collection of Lincoln portraits, a collection that charts Lincoln's passage from a fresh-faced Illinois congressman to his grizzled isolation as president. It will be one of the rare times that the original cracked-plate portrait of Lincoln by Alexander Gardener will be displayed. David Ward, historian, is the exhibition curator. For updates and education programs go to npg.si.edu.

Metrorail: Gallery Pl-Chinatown, Metrobus: 42, 70, 71

Official Website: http://www.npg.si.edu