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8 | August 23, 2018 | The highland park landmark news
hplandmark.com
Highwood resident gifts Lincoln
portrait to Historical Society
Matt Huppert
Freelance Reporter
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The Barn, Oil on Linen, 2012 Lars-Birger Sponberg, 1919 -2018
Just a few weeks shy of
the city’s 150th anniversary,
the Highwood Historical
Society received an
early birthday gift when
resident and artist Daniel
F. Andre presented them
with a lithograph copy of
his acclaimed portrait of
Abraham Lincoln.
Andre unveiled the
portrait at the Highwood
Historical Society Board
meeting at City Hall
Thursday. The original
copy of Andre’s Lincoln
painting resides in the permanent
collection of the
Abraham Lincoln Library
Museum in Springfield.
Teta Minuzzo, former
president and archivist
for the Highwood Historical
Society, said the group
receives various historical
artifacts from the community,
such as newspaper
clippings and pictures, but
nothing quite like Andre’s
painting.
“This is probably the
largest gift that’s ever been
given to the historical society
during my tenure in the
organization,” she said. “ I
don’t believe we have any
other artifacts that are that
valuable in our museum.”
Andre said he was honored
to present his portrait
to the Highwood Historical
Society, and felt a certain
responsibility to share
his work with his community.
He began painting the
portrait in the late nineties
after receiving a photograph
of Lincoln that
struck him as more visually
distinctive and intriguing
than others he had seen
of the sixteenth president.
“There were a lot of
sharp edges, there was a
Artist Daniel F. Andre (bottom left) poses with his painting
of Abraham Lincoln, along with former Highwood
Historical Society President Teta Minuzzo (pink shirt)
and current Highwood Historical Society President Tom
Scopelliti (right). Matt Huppert/22nd Century Media
lot clarity in his eyes. The
wrinkles in his face, his
hair was changing from
black to grey and white,”
he said. “You could see
almost every hair follicle,
you can even feel the texture
of the jacket he was
wearing,”
After he abandoned a
first attempt at the Lincoln
portrait upon feeling
over-his-head artistically,
Andre gave it another try
and completed the finished
version of his work in four
years.
He then contacted the
Lincoln Library Museum,
which expressed interest
in adding it to their items.
In 2009, on the bicentennial
of Lincoln’s birth, it
was placed in the permanent
collection of Lincoln
artifacts.
Highwood is one of
many communities to
which Andre hopes to give
a lithographed copy of his
portrait. Mentioning that
Lincoln may have traveled
through Highwood en
route to Waukegan, he said
he would like to give the
portrait to specific cities
and areas in which Lincoln
was present.
“That way everybody
has a little piece of the
memorabilia and of the
moment,” he said.
Minuzzo said they hope
to have Andre’s painting
up for display in the new
Highwood History Society
Museum as soon as
possible. The museum, an
extension of the historical
society’s offices at 122
North Avenue, recently
opened to the public on
Wednesday evenings,
she said, with the goal of
adding more availability
along with more volunteers.
She said visitors can expect
to be greeted by Andre’s
portrait upon entering
the museum.
“It will be placed in a
prominent place within
our museum. When people
walk in through the
door they’ll be able to see
it right away,” she said.
“We’re just really honored
that he has donated this to
us. As a Highwood artist
I think that’s a wonderful
gesture on his part.”
The historical society
will host its 150th anniversary
celebration at the museum
5-9 p.m. on Wednesday,
Aug. 22.