A wax sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, the work of Sandy Williams IV, partially melted due to the intense heat that hit Washington, DC last week. This sculpture, just under six feet tall and weighing just over a ton, is a replica of the Lincoln Memorial installed in front of Garrison Elementary School as part of the “40 Acres: Camp Barker” exhibit.
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Camp Barker, once a refugee camp during the Civil War, is now the site of Garrison Elementary School. The exhibition aims to recall the history of the place while using art as a vector of memory and reflection.
Cultural DC, the organization that commissioned the Abraham Lincoln wax sculpture, explained that the work was designed to burn slowly, like a candle, evolving over time. However, exceptionally high temperatures accelerated this process. Normally, the wax used starts to melt from 60°C. But although the temperature recorded last weekend in Washington, DC only reached about 38°C, the statue’s direct exposure to sunlight and its location were enough to cause significant warping. This is how the sculpture of Abraham Lincoln sank further in its seat.
