Digitized Material from James R. B. Van Cleave Collection of Lincoln Centenary Letters | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

The digitized content of the James R.B. Van Cleave Lincoln Centenary Letters consists of letters written to the Lincoln Centennial Association from 1907-1911, primarily relating to the centenary of Lincoln’s birth, which occurred in 1909.

The Lincoln Centennial Association (now the Abraham Lincoln Association) was formed in Springfield, Illinois, in 1908, to facilitate the national ceremony of the centennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln in 1909. James R.B. Van Cleave (1853-1931) was a life member of the Association. He served as Secretary of the Publicity Committee and was a member of the Committee on Souvenirs and Printing. For the centennial, Van Cleave was tasked with gathering reminiscences from those who knew Lincoln personally or professionally.

The digitized content contains letters written to James R.B. Van Cleave which describe the artifacts that they were donating to the Lincoln Centenary, or their personal memories of meeting Abraham Lincoln.

The James R.B. Van Cleave Lincoln Centenary Letters, 1907 and 1909-1911 was partially digitized in 2023. Items are available online at the University of Illinois Digital Library. A preservation copy of the items is available to IHLC and digital preservation staff at the Library Digital Repository: https://medusa.library.illinois.edu/collections/1981.