Even a wax statue of Abraham Lincoln couldn’t withstand the scorching summer temperatures.
A 3,000-pound Lincoln monument outside Garrison Elementary School in Washington, D.C., started melting over the weekend as temperatures soared close to triple digits, according to reports from USA Today, BBC, and Newsweek.
Eyewitnesses noted that the statue’s head began to sag first, followed by one of its legs and a foot. Eventually, the nonprofit organization CulturalDC, which commissioned the artwork, made the decision to “purposely remove” Lincoln’s head. The group stated that this was done to prevent the wax structure from collapsing completely and breaking apart.
CulturalDC, in an official statement on their website, explained that the statue, formally titled 40 Acres: Camp Barker, was always meant to burn like a candle and change over time. However, the record-breaking heat caused it to degrade much faster than anticipated.
“Lincoln has slumped into his chair more than ever anticipated with this record-level heat!” the organization wrote. “With 2024 approaching and our planet warming further, all that wax is leaning back.”
They also raised an interesting question about the future: “We can’t guarantee he’ll be sitting up straight in the months ahead, but then again—who really will be?”
The Internet Reacts With Humor
As news of the melting Lincoln statue spread online, social media users wasted no time cracking jokes about the unusual sight.
One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, quipped, “I wax like Lincoln too. Meeeee too.” Another person compared the slumping figure to the feeling of being overwhelmed by emails, captioning an image of the statue with, “How your email reaches me.”
Many people drew humorous comparisons between the drooping Lincoln and the way humans react to extreme heat. Some suggested that the former president’s wax likeness was simply “tired” or had “seen enough” of modern politics.
The Artist’s Reaction
The artist behind the project, Sandy Williams IV, told Newsweek that while they expected the sculpture to change over time, they didn’t foresee it melting quite this way.
“I used to joke that this work would turn into environmental art when the climate deteriorated and we experienced temperatures high enough to melt these sculptures,” Williams said. “I did not anticipate that day to come this past weekend.”
Although the melting process happened faster than expected, it aligned with the intended message of the artwork. Williams emphasized that the sculpture was designed as a reflection on history and climate change, with its slow transformation symbolizing the passage of time and environmental shifts.
What’s Next for the Statue?
Despite the unexpected turn of events, CulturalDC does not plan to restore or repair the installation. Executive Director Kristi Maiselman told USA Today that the statue will be removed before the new school year begins in August.
However, the future of the artwork remains uncertain. Maiselman revealed that several galleries and private collectors have expressed interest in acquiring the piece, but no final decision has been made regarding its next destination.
“We haven’t come to a concrete decision on where the piece will go next,” Maiselman said.
For now, the melting Lincoln remains a stark, albeit comical, reminder of the increasingly extreme weather patterns affecting the world. Whether the statue finds a new home or meets a different fate, it has already left a lasting impression—both as a thought-provoking art piece and as an unexpected source of internet entertainment.
