Postcard, "Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.," circa 1940

During the 1909 centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, Congress found itself in the embarrassing position of lacking plans to honor Lincoln in the nation's capital. In 1911, a Commission was formed to create an appropriate tribute. The resulting Lincoln Memorial, dedicated in 1922, idealizes Lincoln's memory in a Greek-temple-like structure that symbolizes the democratic principles for which Lincoln stood.