A backdrop for historic events, a treasured snapshot for travelers—the monument to America’s 16th president has been an iconic presence through the decades.
The Lincoln Memorial, shown here under construction, sometime before 1920, was designed by architect Henry Bacon in the neoclassical style. Work began in 1914, and the completed memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922.
Photograph by Harris & Ewing, Library of Congress
May 25, 2022
•7 min read
Since it was unveiled to the public on Memorial Day in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial has become one of the world’s best-known monuments to the 16th U.S. president and a key stop for millions of annual visitors to Washington, D.C.
Now celebrating its centennial, the memorial on the west end of the National Mall frames Henry Bacon’s Greek Revival temple to frame Daniel Chester French’s 175-ton Lincoln sculpted from Georgia marble. “Four score and seven” (87) steps take visitors from the Reflecting Pool to the statue, a number referencing the Great Emancipator’s famed Gettysburg Address.
That speech—etched into the temple’s wall, along with the Second Inaugural Address—offers a message that resonates today: a determination to end conflict and unite the country under one banner for all.
The memorial isn’t just an iconic tribute to a fallen president. It’s a significant work of art, representing a realist style rarely seen in the 1920s. French’s 19-by-19-foot Lincoln is seated, an unusual position for commemorations then, and wears a solemn expression on his face. One hand is clenched, the other relaxed.
Experts aren’t sure what French was aiming for when he sculpted his Lincoln from plaster molds and photographs. French left his work to interpretation, saying: “A statue has to speak for itself, and it seems useless to explain to everyone what it means. I have no doubt that people will read into my statue of Lincoln a great deal I did not consciously think. Whether it will be for good or ill, who can say?”
Over the decades, the memorial has meant many things to many people. It has served as a powerful backdrop for major moments in history, a symbol of resilience and resolve in difficult times, and an iconic image in treasured travel memories. These archival photos capture the Lincoln Memorial through the years.
A worker stands on a scaffold within the Lincoln Memorial in 1928. Although the memorial was completed by 1922, additional work to shore up settling issues were ongoing.
Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, Library of Congress
In this 1925 photo, sculptor Daniel Chester French poses with models of the Lincoln statue in his Chesterwood studio, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. These early versions show Lincoln looking down, with his hands in different positions.
Photograph courtesy Chesterwood
This March 25, 1920, photo shows excavation work for the Reflecting Pool, referred to then as “the big mirror lake.” It was completed in 1923.
Photograph by Bettmann Archives, Getty Images
Crowds gather at the official dedication of the Lincoln Memorial on May 30, 1922. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Howard Taft officiated the ceremony, which included President Warren G. Harding and Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, who was 78 years old at the time.
Photograph by National Archives, Getty Images
A woman skates with a hockey stick on the Reflecting Pool in the 1920s, on a rare occasion when ice-skating was allowed. Over the years, various proposals to turn the pool into an ice-skating rink in the winter have been denied due to safety concerns.
Photograph by Harris & Ewing, Getty Images
In this undated photo of cherry trees lining the Tidal Basin, the Lincoln Memorial rises in the distance. The monument was constructed using marble from different states to symbolize unity after a divisive Civil War.
Photograph by Ernest L. Crandall, Nat Geo Image Collection
A Ford Motor Company Lincoln coupe pauses in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1925.
Photograph by Alamy Stock Photo
A woman and two girls gaze up at the Lincoln statue, year unknown. From the base of the plinth, the statue rises to 30 feet.
Photograph by Edie Adams and Ernie Kovacs Estate, Getty Images
Two men strum guitars beside the Lincoln statue, in this undated photo.
Photograph by Three Lions, Getty Images
The March on Washington to protest race discrimination on August 28, 1963, is one of many historic events that have taken place at the Lincoln Memorial. On this day, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famed “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the memorial.
Photograph by Bettmann Archive, Getty Images
Asa Philip Randolph, a labor leader and director of the March on Washington, looks out at the crowds assembled in front of the memorial on August 28, 1963.
Photograph by Bettmann Archive, Getty Images
This aerial photo shows the Lincoln Memorial from the northeast, framed by the Potomac River. The memorial sits on the west end of the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol building on the east end and the Washington Monument between.
Photograph by Jack Boucher, Library of Congress
Two people in silhouette share a quiet moment on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The monument is a popular tourist spot and a beloved landmark for many locals.
Photograph by Raul Touzon, Nat Geo Image Collection
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