Robert Russell Crans Jr. is storing a bounty of items once owned and touched by President Abraham Lincoln and his family that represent a time in American history and politics most can only read about in history books. Through hundreds of years, the Lincoln personal items have been passed down through generations of family members. Mr. Crans is adopted, but his mother’s stepfather, Robert Lincoln Beckwith, was the last known blood relative of the Lincoln family. He said he was ready to part with the collection, mostly because of the financial strain of his medical bills and his need to refinance his home. So, he’s taken some of these items to market, including a fan owned by the first lady, Mary Todd Lincoln, when she was in the White House; a sterling silver ladle from the wife of Robert Todd Lincoln, a son of the president and Ms. Lincoln; and a portrait of the first lady’s half sister.

Source: New York Times February 15, 2021 14:37 UTC