Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 22

Decatur, Illinois, Tuesday, June 20, 1967 DECATUR HERALD 22 King V. Hostick. left, and Stale Historian Clyde C. Wal- ton examine pictures made Pictures Examined from some 12,000 old glass plate negatives which Hostick presented to the State Histor- jj When the Lincoln Tomb was rebuilt in 1901, Lincoln's body was moved to this vault at the side of the hill where the monument now stands. State Library Given Photos ical Library.

The negatives date from the 1890's into the 1920's. Fenced Statues As the Lincoln Tomb was being rebuilt the statuary for the monument was collected in this fenced plot on the grounds where it was guarded against possible theft. The Illinois State Historical Library now has almost a complete file of negatives of the tearing down and rebuilding of the tomb. Depicting Rise of Lincoln Tomb A unique and valuable collection of Springfieldiana in the form of more than 12,000 scenes and portraits preserved on glass photographic negatives dating from the 1890s into the 1920s has been presented to the Illinois State Historical Library, according to Clyde C. Walton, Illinois state historian.

The collection was a gift from King V. Hostick, Chicago and Springfield dealer in historical manuscripts, who acquired it from the estate of the late Herbert W. Georg, Springfield photographer. The gift also includes some 200 cans of motion picture fiim dated around 1920. The glass negatives were made by Georg and his father, Victor Georg.

The father operated photographic studios at first in Milwaukee and then in Chicago from 1882 until 1897, when he came to Springfield. He died in 1911 and after that the business was carried on by the son. Herbert Georg died in seven inches. the other sizes being 14 by 17, 11 by 14 and 8 by 10. Frequently the plate would contain two negatives, and this was particularly true of the smaller plates; an eight by 10 plate would have two five by eight-inch negatives.

Of the 12,000 negatives, Hostick estimated that approximately 3,500 could be called historical. The others are of Springfield's political, professional, business and social leaders, and ordinary citizens of the period. Among the historical negatives are numerous views of the state Capitol and of downtown Springfield at the turn of the century. One group consists of negatives of Abraham Lincoln letters; another 200 include negatives of paintings of several governors and Springfield leaders. Also there are negatives of other Illinois scenes, early automobiles, racing cars, wagons, trucks and airplanes.

"'Amy. 4- December 1964 at the age of 71. Walton called attention to a particularly complete file of negatives which record the tearing down and rebuilding of the Lincoln Tomb in 1901. At that time the foundations were considered unsafe and the entire Tomb was dismantled stone by stone and statue by statue. The bodies of Lincoln and the other members of the family were moved to temporary vaults at the edge of the hill, and the Lincoln casket was opened and the remains were certified by a committee to be his.

Walton explained that these dry glass plate negatives came into use about 1890 and succeeded the wet glass plate which followed the daguerreotype, tintype, and other earlier photographic forms. The glass plate was gradually replaced by celluloid in the 1920s. The Georg plates themselves, Walton said, vary in size from 16 by 20 inches to five by rebuilt. This is Negative Shows Rebuilding of Lincoln's Tomb Glass Plate one of a series Georg glass plate negatives by King V. Hostick, Spring picture was taken from the roof of the shed shown in the photo directly above.

Of the 12.000 negatives given library, Hostick estimates that approximately 3,500 could be called historical. The others depict ordinary life in Springfield at the time. The Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield was considered unsafe and was taken down in 1901 and of pictures of the rebuilding in the collection of Herbert which were given to the Illinois State Historical Library field and Chicago dealer in historical manuscripts. This.