-Abraham Lincoln- still bank c. 1940

Curator: Standing before us, we have a cast metal still bank, dating circa 1940. The figure is titled “Abraham Lincoln” and was created by Banthrico, Incorporated. Editor: It strikes me as possessing this sort of…melancholy stillness. I imagine a dusty general store, and this heavy object, cool to the touch, holding secrets and spare change. The patina is really evocative. Curator: These coin banks were often given as promotional items by banks, primarily, reflecting a Depression-era ethos of thrift and, indeed, trust in financial institutions and patriotism with Lincoln at the helm, I think. The bronze material lent a sense of value and permanence to this modest object. Editor: Yes, it’s not "art" capital A art necessarily, but the object performs on many levels—sculpture, tool, monument, even. And there's something profoundly touching about how a national hero becomes democratized, rendered into the quotidian, literally becoming a repository of everyday savings. Curator: Right. The inscription of his name on the front anchors it firmly in the realm of representation but shifts it to one of mass production. The artist is displaced by the industrial. Think about all the labor involved. It raises important questions: Where were they made? Who profited? Editor: Perhaps. But also consider this: art has always intertwined with commerce. Consider patronage. What does it mean to render Lincoln’s stern visage as a kind of piggy bank? Curator: The banality of consumer objects is quite deliberate. Still banks encourage certain kinds of civic participation but can also invite exploitation or reinforce capitalist hierarchies. Editor: I find it strangely intimate, like having a miniature president on your shelf, urging prudence! Perhaps a material symbol of a certain optimism, tinged with, let's say, American gothic humor? Curator: A provocative reading, I will admit. A lot to consider about this unassuming object. Editor: I think it’s a rather clever intersection between practicality, propaganda, and an artist’s dream made humble, reminding us to invest in history and perhaps ourselves.