Abraham Lincoln's wax statue loses its shape in DC heat

Abraham Lincoln's wax statue melts down in the scorching heat wave of Washington, DC.

According to the Washington Post, on Monday, June 24, the head of the sculpture was gone, and the left leg was separated from his torso while the right foot was a blob.

The six-foot-tall statue of the 16th President of America, made by Richmond artist Sandy Williams IV, was installed on the campus of Garrison Elementary School in Northwest Washington in February.

As per its website, the installation is a ‘direct commentary on DC's history of Civil War-era Contraband Camps.’

Williams, a professor of art at the University of Richmond who understands the wax, said, “The idea was that the ambient temperature, unless it got to 140 degrees, wouldn’t melt the sculpture. But yeah, I’m not sure that the company ever tried just putting a block of it outside for days in a hundred-plus-degree weather.”

Kristi Maiselman, executive director and curator of CulturalDC, noted, “I think. Personally, it’s a great platform for this work to spark conversations, not only about the historical significance of the site and of Lincoln but about what’s going on in the world as it relates to climate change.”