The Abraham Lincoln Collection--bequeathed in 1938 to the Wilmington Institute Free Library by Lincoln Club charter member Frank G. Tallman--was, at the time, one of the finest private collections of Lincolniana in the country. In 1972, the Wilmington Library donated the collection to the University of Delaware for better access and preservation, and the collection has been housed in Special Collections at Morris Library in Newark since 1998.

Frank Tallman’s gift formed the core of the Lincoln Collection, but Club member J. Stuart Groves and many other collectors also added to the collection over the years, including gifts of books, photographs, manuscripts, broadsides, and other memorabilia. Through the years, other supporters have contributed funds to enable purchases of additional collection materials. The Lincoln Club of Delaware is proud of this outstanding collection and its ongoing support for it.

Donations of collection materials, as well as monetary donations to support the growth, maintenance, preservation, and outreach for the Lincoln Collection, are welcome. Tax deductible donations in support of the collection may be made to the University of Delaware, attn: Lincoln Collection, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press; Newark, DE 19717-5267.

To learn more about Abraham Lincoln and the collection, click here.

For more information, please contact the Lincoln Collection Liaison through our online form. Contact Now!