"Chasing the Gettysburg Address:
A Pennsylvania Roadtrip with Abraham Lincoln"
A documentary exhibition and book project
In 1863, a photograph was made at Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania. A steam locomotive is positioned on the tracks and a small crowd gathers at the railroad station. In the center, stands a tall, bearded man dressed in a long frock coat and top hat. Could this be President Abraham Lincoln at a stop on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address?
Since the 1950s, there has been debate about the photograph and whether this was, indeed, President Lincoln. Certain facts presented seem to dispel this possibility. But, it is known that the President did arrive at Hanover Junction on November 18, 1863, en route to Gettysburg where he made one the greatest American political speeches in history.
While moving to a new house not far from Hanover Junction, I discovered the historic railroad station and learned about Abraham Lincoln's journey to Gettysburg. Being a documentary photographer who utilizes the large format film camera, I was drawn into the 1950s debate on this photograph.
I found the vantage point from where the 19th-century image was made and set up my camera to photograph the historic railroad station. I ducked under the dark focusing cloth and, as I peered through the ground glass of my camera, I couldn’t help but wonder what Lincoln would discover if he traveled along the same route in 2025.
Some of the tracks are gone, but what are the perspectives of individuals living along the route? Do they know they are living on such a historic stretch? Are they storytellers like Lincoln on a wide range of topics?
And, like the purveyors who proclaim, “George Washington slept here,” are there historic structures that still stand where Lincoln visited or, at least, might have noticed?
Determined to see our history and culture with new eyes, I will journey from New Freedom to Gettysburg. Traveling by car and on foot, I will uncover forgotten historic architecture and meet the people who live along this former historic line.
This will be a road trip through south central Pennsylvania with Abraham Lincoln riding shotgun, his spirit guiding the viewfinder to whatever it will encounter.
“Chasing the Gettysburg Address” is a multi-discipline exhibition and book project to rediscover history and cultural identity in south central Pennsylvania.
Emphasizing the traditions of documentary photography as a way of seeing and interpreting cultural life, the work will be primarily through the lens of large-format, black-and-white, hand-printed silver gelatin film photography. The format is a similar approach to the 19th century camera that President Lincoln would have been photographed by Mathew Brady and others. Using this unconventional photographic approach in a digital-driven age gives the project a distinctive visual aesthetic (the unusual photographic methodology of the project will reach a broad audience).
The methodology will also provide an opportunity to listen deeply and slow down in today's highly technical, fast-paced, complicated world. This is a project to explore stories that matter to residents of Pennsylvania.
Project assistance provided by:
Initial project support provided by:
Cultural Alliance of York
Scott Mingus:Civil War historian, author, speaker and re-enactor / interpreter.
"We can take inspiration from the stories of courage such as the young newlywed in Wrightsville who boldly defended the Union cause in a verbal exchange with a Confederate general. We can learn from the individual men who went off to war for various causes -- money, patriotism, peer pressure, boredom, adventure, whatever, and reflect on how we might react."
Photographed with 4 x 5 large format film camera format at Hanover Junction
