Overview

• The Lincoln Presidential Foundation auctioned 144 artifacts, selling 136 items to raise $7.9 million, including buyer premiums.
• The auction’s top-selling item, Lincoln's blood-stained assassination gloves, fetched $1.52 million, while an 1824 handwriting sample sold for $521,200.
• Proceeds from the auction will be used to pay off the foundation's longstanding $23 million loan, with excess funds allocated for artifact care and display.
• The sale has drawn criticism from historians and donor Louise Taper, who expressed dismay over the potential privatization of historically significant items.
• The auction highlights the financial challenges historical institutions face in preserving and maintaining public access to cultural heritage.