The National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, TX is a great place to visit in April. Immerse yourself in American history, as the museum observes the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. Lincoln died on April 15, 1865 after being assassinated while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre. As we celebrate his legacy, the Museum is pleased to present some exciting artifacts and art that in his death capture the life of our great 16th president.

  Opening on April 15, the Museum will have on display a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s “life mask.” Also called a “death mask,” this tool was often created by sculptors in living subjects and historically by portraitists before the age of photography by applying wet plaster to the face to make the mask. Lincoln was asked on two occasions to participate in this practice. First, in early 1860 before he was the Republican nominee, a Chicago sculptor named Leonard Volk asked Lincoln to sit for a bust he would later create. According to accounts from the Smithsonian – “Lincoln was pleased when he saw the bust, declaring it ‘the animal himself’.” He repeated the process again in February 1865, two months before his death, for the Washington sculptor Clark Mills. After years of war, the contrast between the two masks is startling. Both masks were gifted to the Smithsonian and are part of the National Museum of American History’s collection. The National Museum of Funeral History is pleased to showcase a replica of the 1865 mask and presents a chronological portrait history to show the changing faces of Abraham Lincoln.

  In conjunction with Lincoln’s life mask, the Museum will also feature the diaries of Anna B. Temple. A young 14-year-old living in Chester County, PA, Temple began her diary in January 1859 and continued through the Civil War in 1865. These accounts were published in 1990 and include two pages of her own account on hearing the news of Lincoln’s death. The Museum will have copies of Temple’s diaries available for sale in the Museum’s gift shop.

  Visitors can learn more about our 16th president and other distinguished leaders in our presidential funerals exhibit, which brings together artifacts and original items used in the state funerals and burial services of some of America’s greatest presidents. The exhibit also features the authentic bill from George Washington’s funeral, the original eternal flame from John F. Kennedy’s gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery and a full-scale re-creation of President Lincoln lying in repose on view. Additionally, visitors can view an authentic mourning badge worn by a guest at Lincoln’s funeral in1865 and a replica of the Derringer used in his assassination.

  Those in the funeral industry will appreciate another historical artifact being exhibited at the Museum from April 1 through May 31 – the last casket ever manufactured by the Marsellus Casket Co. Founded in 1872 and regarded as the “Rolls Royce of caskets,” Marsellus has a long history of making fine wood caskets including ones for notables such as Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Truman and Reagan, Governor Nelson Rockefeller and sports legends Vince Lombardi and Mickey Mantle. On May 29, 2003 the last casket rolled off the line as the company went out of business – a model 710, “The President,” a mahogany casket polished to a high gloss and lined with pearl-colored velvet. The National Museum of Funeral History became its proud owner and is proud to display the company’s exceptionally fine workmanship.

  The National Museum of Funeral History houses the country’s largest collection of funeral service artifacts and features renowned exhibits on one of man’s oldest cultural customs. Visitors can discover the mourning rituals of ancient civilizations, see up-close the authentic items used in the funerals of United States presidents and popes and explore the rich heritage of the industry which cares for the dead.