“You’ve reached the voice mail of Larry and Mary Elliott…and Abraham Lincoln too.� This was my introduction to Larry Elliott, a professional Lincoln impersonator who recently visited the Twin Cities for a public talk at the Weisman Art Museum.

By speaking with Elliott by phone and later in person, I found that his take on Lincoln goes much deeper than sharing the 16th president’s shoe size, height, weight, looks, and hometown of Hodgenville, Kentucky. As a bonus, his great, great, great, grandmother was the midwife who birthed Lincoln.

“My wife and I just have a tremendous passion to teach students what Lincoln was all about,� remarked Elliott when stating his motivation to campaign across the country. Elliott and his wife Mary, who plays Mrs. Lincoln, present regularly to school groups and others, ranging from elementary school students on up.

What would Lincoln’s perspective be on art? Elliott answers, “Lincoln was about a broad diversification of education. Poetry, art, and involving yourself in all types of educational teachings are worthy causes.� He says Lincoln believed that education and cultural appreciation should be available to the people and that they should not be profit-seeking institutions, but there for everyone. Makes a museum at a public university look pretty good before Lincoln’s eyes.

Much of Elliott’s October 2 talk at WAM focused on Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which was given just over a month before his death in April, 1865. It was at this talk that Lincoln stated essentially that the hard-fought Civil War was over. Reciting word-for-word what Lincoln said time traveled patrons to that day in March, and brought to life his passionate remarks about the Union he all but saved.

Larry Elliott’s appearance at the Weisman was one of several public programs presented during the exhibitions Hindsight is Always 20/20 by R. Luke DuBois and What do you say, AMERICA?, both open until January 4, 2009. Visit the Weisman events calendar for a list of remaining programs in the series.