"The true story of Vinnie Ream's courage and persistence in the service of art, and in the service of a friend."--Dust jacket, front flap.

A fictionalized account of the Washington, D.C., Civil War years experienced by Vinnie Ream the sculptress, best known for the statue of Abraham Lincoln that is in the Capitol building.

VINNIE REAM was a government postal worker and a teenage art prodigy who studied at the U.S. Capitol during the Civil War. She was able to model Abraham Lincoln prior to his assassination in 1865. In 1866, Congress wanted a statue of Lincoln and voted to give the young woman a chance to make the work. Vinnie became the first woman and the youngest artist to receive a U.S. Government commission for a statue. Her tragic true-to-life marble figure of Lincoln in the U.S. Capitol rotunda was unveiled in 1871. The work and its artist generated a storm of controversy. Vinnie Ream overcame a campaign of slander and courageously completed the statue despite many obstacles. This book is the true story of that dramatic struggle. It is an attempt to document the life and work of a famous, but forgotten, American woman sculptor. The information it contains came from hundreds of sources and is the end result of many years of study. The book shows the known art of Vinnie Ream in pictures and presents an inventory of her work for the first time. One purpose of this is to challenge the assumption that she was only an artist of "secondary importance". It is our hope that her true role in art history can be better determined by this detailed survey. Another purpose of this volume is to tell an accurate version of Vinnie Ream's life story. It attempts to transcend both the "Cinderella" and notorious elements written in the past by giving more original and more balanced information. Uncut speeches, debates, news stories and letters have been included where possible to let the characters speak for themselves. It is our hope that this book will stimulate more in-depth study of neglected artists and helpto hoist them out of the abyss of historical obscurity.

She was able, through clever maneuvering and dogged determination, to achieve a commission from the Congress for a life-sized statue of the assassinated president—this despite the very real animus against women artists at that time, which is apparent in the heated arguments against granting her the Lincoln commission—arguments spearheaded in the Senate by Charles Sumner of Massachusetts.Steeped in the history of her time, Vinnie Ream was involved with dozens of senators and congressmen and other powerful men—not least of all Generals Sherman and Custer—and her studio on Capitol Hill became a legendary stopping place for many admirers and tourists. Her statue of Lincoln stands in the rotunda of the capitol building; her statue of Admiral Farragut stands in a Washington, D.C. park; other works are in Statuary Hall and various museums. This is an engaging biography of a spirited female artist, and an effective portrait of Washington, D.C. in the Civil War era.

The tumultuous experiences Abraham Lincoln had with the women in his lifehave long been known, but here the stories have been brought together - andfilled out with newly discovered accounts - in a fresh, new way that shows theireffect on Lincoln's personality, ambition, and spirit: The death of his mother when he was nine years old gave him a feeling of abandonment. The discovery that his mother's ancestry and reputation were scandalous and that he may have been illegitimate. The unexpected death of his beloved sister, Sarah. The untimely death of Ann Rutledge, probably the only woman with whom Lincoln shared a deep, wonderful love. His sudden and unexpected marriage to Mary Todd, a marriage that was Lincoln's greatest tragedy. Not overlooked are the positive impacts of women on Lincoln and he on them,especially his stepmother - the first person to treat him with respect. Thisin-depth book reveals the effect that women had on Abraham Lincoln's life andcareer.

Chronicles the life of Vinnie Ream, her apprenticeship as a sculptor and how, after Abraham Lincoln's assassination, she fights prejudice for the honor of sculpting the statue of Lincoln in the Capitol rotunda.

Tess's love in life is soccer. When she finds out that all sports at her school will be cut unless the community votes for a tax levy, Tess will do anything to rally votes. She's even joining forces with a cheerleader to help spread the word and raise funds. Throughout the campaign to save soccer, Tess is playing her heart out on the soccer field and struggling to make passing grades in her classes. But if the levy doesn't pass, will it all have been for nothing? Find out in Dawn FitzGerald's Soccer Chick Rules.