Laura Keyes in “Historic Voices: Mrs. Lincoln in Love" at the Bettendorf Public Library -- February 12.
Thursday, February 12, 6:30 p.m.
Bettendorf Public Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf IA
Mary Todd Lincoln lived a life filled with triumphs and tragedies. But few genuinely know her story, and in the Bettendorf Public Library's February 12 program Historic Voices: Mrs. Lincoln in Love, patrons are invited to listen in as Mary – as portrayed by librarian and touring performer Laura Keyes – reflects on the loves of her life: her children, her husband, and her country.
Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882) was First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865. Mary Todd was born into a large and wealthy slave-owning family in Kentucky, although Mary never owned slaves and in her adulthood came to oppose slavery. Well educated, after finishing-school in her late teens, she moved to Springfield, the capital of Illinois. She lived there with her married sister Elizabeth Todd Edwards, the wife of an Illinois congressman. Before she married Abraham Lincoln, Mary was courted by his long-time political opponent Stephen A. Douglas.
Mary Lincoln staunchly supported her husband's career and political ambitions, and throughout his presidency, she was active in keeping national morale high during the American Civil War. She acted as the White House social coordinator, throwing lavish balls and redecorating the White House at great expense; her spending was the source of much consternation. She was seated next to Abraham when he was assassinated in the President's Box at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865.
Mrs. Lincoln in Love is set on January 31, 1862, when Mrs. Lincoln and her family are settled comfortably in the Executive Mansion. Visiting with ladies during afternoon tea, Mrs. Lincoln reflects on the loves of her life and even shares some of her husband Abraham's love letters. With this fascinating and entertaining historical re-creation, library guests will earn how Mary’s knowledge of both politics and social customs made it possible for a backwoods frontier attorney to achieve the highest office in the land.
Mary Todd Lincoln portrayer Keyes graduated from UW-Madison with a Master’s Degree in Library Studies, is a library director in central Illinois, and has been presenting on historic topics for more than 10 years. She also performs one-woman historical pieces on such figures as Charlotte Brontë, Mary Harlan Lincoln, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In her biography at LauraKeyes.com, she states: "Since 1999, I have been active in community theatre in Illinois and Wisconsin, serving on the Board of Directors for Pec Playhouse Theatre more than once. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Wheels O' Time Museum, the Association of Lincoln Presenters, and the Illinois Library Association. In my non-existent spare time, I am an avid baker and cat enthusiast!"
Historic Voices: Mrs. Lincoln in Love will be presented in the library's Bettendorf and Gilbert Rooms on February 12, participation in the 6:30 p.m. program is free, and more information is available by calling (563)344-4175 and visiting BettendorfLibrary.com.
