Events to add detail to life of president

Washington — Abraham Lincoln … inventor?

In addition to all his other achievements, the insatiably curious Lincoln is the only president to hold a patent (No. 6469). It was granted May 22, 1849, when Lincoln was a 40-year-old lawyer working in Illinois.

The former flatboat pilot devised a “manner of buoying vessels” as his patent schematic stated, a design that would raise boats off a sand bar.

A replica of the boat model filed with his patent will be on display when “Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life” opens Friday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

This exhibit is just one of a wide-ranging program of lectures, tours and displays of the most famous documents associated with the 16th president that are part of the yearlong Lincoln Bicentennial.

Here is a preview of a few of the exhibits:

• “The Honor of Your Company Is Requested: President Lincoln’s Inaugural Ball”: Thousands attended the ball on March 6, 1865, held in three halls (for promenading, dancing and dining) on the third floor of what was then the Patent Office. The Lincolns — Mary in a white satin gown and the president in a dark suit — were in attendance from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Memorabilia such as a copy of the extensive menu (from oysters to beef, veal, turkey, cakes, ice cream and chocolates), a lady’s dance card, Clara Barton’s engraved invitation and newspaper accounts set the scene for what must have been a lively night. The Washington Evening Standard notes that a food fight broke out. On Jan. 31, the Victorian Dance Ensemble, in period costume, will re-create parts of the ball at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. In the American Art Museum. The exhibit runs through Jan. 18, 2010. Eighth and F streets N.W. Washington. Free. 202-633-1000, americanart.si.edu/.

• “One Life: The Mask of Lincoln”: Photography, then a fledgling art form, captures the contrast of the young, clean-shaven Illinois congressman on through his last portrait, taken March 6, 1865, at the White House. On that day, photographer Henry F. Warren delivered prints to Tad Lincoln of the youngster on his pony and at the same time asked him to fetch his father for what became an ambush photo sitting. Also included is the rarely seen February 1865 cracked-plate portrait by Alexander Gardner. The president’s face, deeply lined and careworn, is unmistakably changed by the war years. At the National Portrait Gallery through July 5. Free. Eighth and F streets N.W. Washington. 202-633-8300, www.npg.si.edu/

• “Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life”: Among the more than 60 items in this upcoming exhibit are the iron wedge from his wood-splitting days in the 1830s in New Salem, Ill., to the top hat he wore the night he was shot at Ford’s Theatre. At the National Museum of American History. Opening Friday, through January 2011. Free. On the National Mall, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W. 202-633-1000, americanhistory.si.edu/

• The original Emancipation Proclamation will be on display Feb. 12-16 in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives to mark Lincoln’s birthday and the Presidents Day holiday. The proclamation, which took effect Jan. 1, 1863, during the Civil War, formally gave freedom to slaves in areas of the Confederacy that were in revolt against the Union. It did not end slavery, but it did pave the way for the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. Free. 700 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. (between Seventh and Ninth streets). 202-357-5400, 1-866-325-7208; www.archives.gov/

• Ford’s Theatre will reopen in February after an 18-month renovation to upgrade seats, sound, lighting, heat and air-conditioning systems, and handicapped accessibility. The world premiere of “The Heavens Are Hung in Black” by James Still, about Lincoln coming to terms with the death of his son Willie and the decision to release the Emancipation Proclamation, runs Feb. 3-March 8. On Feb. 12, Lincoln’s birthday, the theater will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities include a wreath-laying ceremony by National Park Service rangers, students performing some of the president’s speeches, a brass band playing on Civil War-era instruments and interpretive programs throughout the day. Daily theater tours begin Feb. 17. Though the tour continues to be free, entry will be via a timed ticket, which can be obtained at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets can also be ordered through Ticketmaster (fees apply). 514 10th St. N.W. 202-347-4833, www.fords.org, www.nps.gov/foth.

For more information, go to www.gosmithsonian.com/lincoln, and lincolnindc.com.