A six-foot-tall wax statue of former US President Abraham Lincoln melted over the weekend as temperatures in Washington DC soared to 37 degrees Celsius.
A six-foot-tall wax statue of former US President Abraham Lincoln melted over the weekend as temperatures in Washington DC soared to 37 degrees Celsius. The heatwave disfigured the statue, which was located at Camp Barker, a historic Civil War-era refugee camp for formerly enslaved and freed African Americans.
According to BBC reports, the statue's head was the first to succumb to the intense heat, followed by its legs. Authorities are now working on repairing the sculpture.
WE CAN NOT WITH THIS HEAT EITHER, LINCOLN
Our project, “40 ACRES: Camp Barker” by Sandy Williams IV has gone viral (for innocent reasons and some not so innocent ones). Read the articles for yourself: https://t.co/NfRc0CaLQI
Check out our website for updates. pic.twitter.com/688QcBUAj2
Abe Lincoln wax replica melts in brutal DC heat
The head from the statue is now under repair, leaving a wire sticking out of the 16th president's neck. -BBC pic.twitter.com/4U7KGcBsfj
The structure, designed as a candle, was accompanied by a plaque that read, "Please blow out your wick within 1-2 minutes." The replica was commissioned by the non-profit organization CulturalDC and was scheduled to remain at the site until September 2024.
“The wax the artist used has a congealing point of 140 degrees. So this was not something that we anticipated.”
The wax statue of Lincoln begins melting amid the D.C. heat wave.https://t.co/j1Mnd8iDyu pic.twitter.com/iLX18UvJ92
Commenting on the incident, CulturalDC stated, "Whether it's the state of the union, the upcoming election, or this record-level heat, we are all over it!"
Created by US-based artist Sandy Williams as part of the Wax Monument Series, the statue was placed at the site of Camp Barker, which now houses an elementary school. The installation aimed to commemorate the history and legacy of the area while engaging the public in contemporary issues through art.
They say it's the heat that's melting the wax statue of Abraham Lincoln but it's really the erosion of American values by insurrectionist convicted felon Trump and his MAGA enablers. pic.twitter.com/WLF3jaKJcf
— The H H of H ⚜️ (@dandidiforusa)Severe heat waves hit dozens of states across the United States. The temperature in the capital Washington exceeded 99.8 degrees Fahrenheit on the 22nd, setting a record for the highest temperature in nearly 8 years. A 6-foot-tall wax statue of Lincoln was beheaded pic.twitter.com/XxxGlHnpo6
— Sunlight🇺🇸 (@SunlightUnder)he wax statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the US, in Washington DC, is melting due to heat. pic.twitter.com/LTGBp54dAC
— Across The Line (@AcrossTheLine11)I can relate to what this Lincoln wax statue is going through. Same President Lincoln, same. pic.twitter.com/KurV7jXlLm
— Sean Doherty (@packupandgohome)