The Lincoln Tomb Springfield Illinois Historic Vintage Postcard

Historical Context & Overview

Situated within the quiet, rolling landscape of Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, the Lincoln Tomb serves as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Following his assassination in April 1865, a national movement sought to create a monument worthy of Lincoln’s colossal historical legacy. Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln personally selected Oak Ridge Cemetery as the location, noting that her husband had often admired the quiet beauty of this specific knoll during his travels across Illinois. Today, the monument remains one of the most revered historic sites in American presidential history.

Architectural Splendor and Construction History

Designed by renowned sculptor Larkin Goldsmith Mead, the tomb’s foundation was laid in 1869, with the initial structure completed and dedicated in 1874. The soaring 117-foot granite obelisk dominates the horizon, anchored by a 70-foot square base that stands 15 feet high. At the corners of the main terrace sit four bronze sculptural groups representing the primary military branches of the Union forces during the Civil War: the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Navy. At the center stands a commanding bronze statue of Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation.

Due to structural settling caused by the heavy granite mass and underlying earth, the tomb underwent two major rebuilds in the early 20th century. The first, occurring in 1901 at a cost of $100,000, completely disassembled and reconstructed the monument with reinforced concrete foundations. A second grand restoration in 1931 cost $175,000, redesigning the interior corridors to better accommodate the millions of pilgrims and tourists traveling to honor Lincoln's memory.

Mid-Century Printing and Curteichcolor Heritage

This original vintage chrome postcard captures the grand exterior of the monument set against a brilliant blue mid-century sky, featuring a vibrant American flag flying at full mast. Printed in 1963 by the legendary Chicago-based Curt Teich & Company, the postcard showcases their proprietary "Curteichcolor" reproduction process. Working from a color Ektachrome slide captured by photographer Elinor Eden, the print demonstrates the saturated tones and sharp details characteristic of 1960s American postcard craftsmanship.

A Treasured Piece of Lincolniana

For collectors of historical Americana, Lincolniana, and vintage Illinois ephemera, mid-century postcards representing the Lincoln Tomb offer a tangible connection to mid-century heritage tourism. As Americans took to the newly expanded interstate highway system in the post-WWII era, visiting patriotic national landmarks like Springfield became a vital cultural ritual. Today, this vintage postcard stands as both an aesthetic artifact of 1960s color printing and an enduring homage to one of America’s greatest leaders.