Clay and Plaster
Since Lincoln did not have the opportunity to leave behind a memoir, his opinion of Douglass was not recorded in writing. His treatment of Douglass was openly friendly in public and in private meetings. After his passing, his widow Mary Todd Lincoln gifted Lincoln's favorite walking stick to Douglass, implying true feelings of gratitude towards Douglass for his aid to help end the Civil War and abolish American slavery.
The monument "Salt of the Earth, Light of the World: Brotherhood" of abolitionists Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln shaking hands, celebrates their pivotal secret meeting on Aug. 19, 1864. The cooperation forged during this meeting helped to the end the Civil War and ratify the 13th Amendment in America that abolishes slavery.
This statue was first made in clay as seen above, then made into bronze. It underlines our common humanity- and our place here as the "Salt of the Earth, Light of the World."
Thank you City of Rochester, NY for your generous support of two beloved heroes of humanity!
You can find the statue at the newly built North Star Commons on the river side of Exchange Blvd, on the corner of Fitzhugh Place in Rochester, NY.