Abraham Lincoln’s Blood-Stained Gloves, Early Scribblings and Dozens of Other Belongings Are Going Up for Sale Nearly 150 pieces of Lincolniana from throughout the 16th president’s life will be hitting the auction block in Chicago on May 21 Campaign memorabilia from Lincoln's first run for the White House in 1860 Freeman's | Hindman A massive trove of Abraham Lincoln’s historical writings, keepsakes and personal effects is heading to the auction block in May. Ranging from boyhood scrawlings to the gloves he wore on the night of his assassination, the nearly 150 objects in the “Lincoln’s Legacy: Historic Americana from the Life of Abraham Lincoln” sale span the life of the 16th president. “Each of the items featured in this sale has been curated with care, to reveal a nuanced and at times surprising portrait of the person who would become one of America’s greatest leaders,” Alyssa Quinlan, CEO of the Chicago auction house Freeman’s | Hindman, says in a statement. The Lincolniana comes from the vast collections of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation, a nonprofit organization that purchased more than 1,500 items from renowned collector Louise Taper in 2007. Lincoln's Legacy: Historic Americana from the Life of Abraham Lincoln Watch on In a statement announcing the auction, the foundation noted that it was selling 144 objects—less than 10 percent of its Lincolniana—to repay loans it used for the initial purchase of the collection. The sale includes a sheet of paper with the earliest known example of Lincoln’s writing, which dates to when he was around 15. While practicing his long division, the teenage Lincoln scrawled a playful note in the corner: “Abraham Lincoln is my name / And with my pen I wrote / the same / I wrote in both [haste] and speed / and left it here for fools / to read.” It’s expected to sell for at least $300,000. An anonymous handbill from 1837, later attributed to Lincoln, represents the young politician’s foray into Illinois state politics. Ephemera from his successful 1860 run for the White House includes an American flag bearing the names of Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin, his first vice president, as well as a tin campaign torch carried by his supporters. A playful poem written by Lincoln when he was around 15 Freeman's | Hindman A rare first printing of Lincoln’s second inaugural address is expected to fetch at least $40,000. Delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln’s speech was only some 700 words, but it succinctly laid out his vision “to bind up the nation’s wounds … to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” Just 41 days later, however, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. The white kid-leather gloves he wore that night, forever stained with his blood, could sell for up to $1.2 million, making them some of the most valuable items in the auction. A single cuff button with the initial “L” could also go for up to $300,000. After Lincoln was shot, a surgeon knocked the cuff button off the president’s wrist as he checked for a pulse, according to Artnet’s Brian Boucher. “In the history of the category of American presidential material, this selection is among the most significant to come to auction,” Christopher Brink, the head of sale for the auction, says in the statement. “The sale includes a number of items previously acquired directly from Lincoln’s descendants, and many more that will be making their first appearance at public auction.” Lincoln's blood-stained gloves worn on the night of his assassination Freeman's | Hindman That rarity, combined with the rich variety of artifacts spanning Lincoln’s entire life, compelled the Lincoln Presidential Foundation to borrow $23 million to purchase the Taper collection 18 years ago. Until 2021, the 1,540 items were kept at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. But following a rift between the two organizations, the objects have not been on public display, according to the Illinois Times’ Karen Ackerman Witter. Since 2007, the foundation has spent more than $23 million to pay down its original debt and interest. With an outstanding loan balance close to $8 million, it was forced to sell a selection of objects at auction. Cuff button worn by Lincoln on the night he was assassinated Freeman's | Hindman “We ... sought to minimize the number of items we had to sell—and we’re delighted that the approved plan will allow us to retain over 90 percent of the collection,” Erin Carlson Mast, president of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation, tells the Illinois Times. Mast hopes the sale will enable the foundation to continue working in service of Lincoln’s legacy, keeping the vast majority of its documents and objects accessible to the public. Ahead of the auction in Chicago on May 21, the items will travel to New York City, Palm Beach, Philadelphia and Cincinnati for public viewing. “Collections hold layers of stories that provide insight into both the past and the present,” Mast tells the Illinois Times. “Historical artifacts and records take on new meanings with each generation. While some items find new homes, the vast majority of our collection remains intact, offering exciting opportunities for future research and programming.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.