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American Morning

Smithsonian Institution Has Exhibition Called 'The American Presidency'

Aired February 18, 2002 - 09:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The Smithsonian Institution has an exhibition touring the country called "The American Presidency." It's making its debut in Chicago, and seeing as how today is President's Day, we have seized on that as an opportunity to bring you CNN's Chicago bureau chief Jeff Flock, who is getting an early look at what is actually a fascinating exhibit.

You were on earlier. With everything except for that pair of red silk pajamas, I mean, I'm still having trouble with that, but the rest of it was pretty cool.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Glad to hear you don't have a pair of those of your own. I bet you also don't have these.

Take a look at these.

This is -- you know, we are talking Lincoln here, a favorite son of Illinois. Look at the shackles. These were the shackles, the actual ones used by the Lincoln conspirators after they were arrested. And beneath that, Bill, we'll see a medical kit used at the Lincoln autopsy on April 15 of 1865.

And of course the other big president on President's Day, Washington. Across the museum, there is a telescope and a writing case used by George Washington in the Revolutionary War. The man who -- one of the men who has helped put this together, is Loney Bunch (ph), who is the president of the Chicago Historical Society, were perched behind the Lincoln bed we showed a couple of hours ago here on CNN. This is one of your treasures back here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is. In some ways, Lincoln is this wonderful icon, who anything associated with him has become a relic. And so the bed and the sheets are really very special dressers.

FLOCK: And one thing we haven't shown, Bill, if you're able to see, these are coins that were what, put on eyes after he passed away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things that's very interesting is after Lincoln died, coins were put on his eyes, and then there was a scramble to say, which were the coins? And ultimately, this society got the coins and have a testimony attached to it. And therefore, it's fascinating. FLOCK: These relics are artifacts. We have got over the first shell fired in World War I. Amazing, that was presented to President Wilson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. One of the things that you find in this exhibition is how difficult it is to be president. That you really ask the president to be commander in chief and to manage the economy, and so getting that shell really symbolized the power and the burdens of being president.

FLOCK: And how this all comes around again, there is the pen over there that Wilson used to sign the declaration of war, World War I, and here we are again, these themes keep coming back. Another war, another declaration, although no declaration this time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly. And I think on of the things that's most impressive from history is that you realize that very few presidents are really prepared to lead us in a war, but most step up and do it ably.

FLOCK: As we make our way over here, I want to take you over into this room. This is sort of fascinating to me, is that you sort of compiled all of the movies about the presidents, and I don't know -- a lot of people remember them. They're fairly contemporary. You got "The American President" here, and Michael Douglas. We've got what looks like Charlton Heston here. And who is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlton Heston played Andrew Jackson.

FLOCK: I got you.

And then this is James Whitmore, and Gimheld Harry (ph). I though that was...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harry Truman there for a while. It looked just like Harry Truman. It's wonderful how these movies really capture the individual and capture what America feels.

FLOCK: And lastly, in the corner here, a film called, "The Man." This is James Earl Jones, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things that's interesting is that in 1972, they put together a movie called "The Man," which looked at the first black president. And it really sort of said a lot about what America was in 1972, worried about issues of race.

FLOCK: Got to pull that one out again. And real quick, before we get away, I want to leave you a great dress. That is -- "I like Ike" dress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eisenhower was one of the first president's to really use women, to get women to vote, so he created this dress that said, women would wear it, and say, "I like Ike."

FLOCK OK, well, we like the whole thing. We appreciate the time. This is a great exhibit, Jack. I urge you to come visit if you can. If not, it will probably come to you. It will travel for three years, nine cities. There you go.

CAFFERTY: That's fascinating stuff, it really is, interesting.

Thanks, Jeff, very much, Jeff Flock in Chicago.

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