Framed quote from President Abraham Lincoln owned by Gen. Powell: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A framed quote by United States President Abraham Lincoln, given to General Colin L. Powell. Printed in large black text on a cream paper background: [“I can make a / Brigadier General / in five minutes, but / it is not easy to replace / 110 horses / A. Lincoln”]. The paper (a) is set behind a brown mat in a black wood frame (b). On the reverse of the frame is an inscription on the cardboard backing, in black ink: [Presented to BG Colin Powell / by LtCol Stu Purviance, Civilian, USAF / on 23 June 1979 / with a prediction not to be opened / until 23 June 1989].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: June 23, 1979
• Created by: Stu Purviance, American
• Received by: General Colin L. Powell, American, 1937 - 2021
• Subject of: President Abraham Lincoln, American, 1809 - 1865
• Subject of: United States Armed Forces, American, founded 1775
• Subject of: United States Army, American, founded 1775
• Type: documents
• Type: frames (furnishings)
• Medium: ink on paper (fiber product) wood and glass metal cardboard
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 6 11/16 × 1 1/2 in. (27.5 × 17 × 3.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Government
• Topic: Men
• Topic: Military
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: U.S. History, 1969-2001
• Topic: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
• Object number: A2022.101.1.28ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alma J. Powell
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.