Abe Lincoln Wax Sculpture Melts in Brutal Washington DC Heat

Washington DC ’s searing heat has caused a wax effigy of Abraham Lincoln to melt.

Knewz.com has learned that the statue lost its head in the heat, followed by one of its legs, with the chair beneath the replica of America ’s sixteenth president eventually sinking into the ground.

Preparations are being made to rebuild Lincoln’s head and while this is in the offing, all that remains is a wire sticking out of his neck.

This is not the first iteration of the six-foot statue that serves as a candle. The first version comprised 100 wicks and was lit sooner than planned resulting in a large amount of the statue burning away before the dedication ceremony kicked off.

Sandy Williams IV, an artist, and professor at Richmond University weighed in on the matter and said:

“The idea was that the ambient temperature, unless it got to 140 degrees, wouldn’t melt the sculpture. But yeah, I’m not sure that the company ever tried just putting a block of it outside for days in a hundred-plus-degree weather ,” per the Daily Jang .

Executive director and curator of CulturalDC, Kristi Maiselman, commented on the anomalous heat and its effect on the statue saying:

“I think. Personally, it’s a great platform for this work to spark conversations, not only about the historical significance of the site and of Lincoln but about what’s going on in the world as it relates to climate change .”

Cultural DC , which sponsored the piece of art’s creation, also weighed in on the matter on its official website:

“The wax used’s congealing point (where it begins to harden or melt) is 140 degrees, but with this record-level heat, Lincoln has slumped into his chair more than ever anticipated! All that wax is leannnnnnnning back under the weight of 2024 and the state of our warming planet !”

The website further noted that the Lincoln statue did not quite lose its head but rather “leaned back” because of the heat . The staff then deliberately removed it to prevent it from falling off.

Netizens weighing in on the matter appeared critical with one on X saying : “Maybe a wax Lincoln sculpture wasn’t the best idea during DC’s first week of summer heat.”

Not all commentary was considerate with another netizen writing : “What a waste of money. Whose genius idea was this? You act like DC hasn’t ever had a heat wave.”

Easy City Art , however , claimed that William intended to make the statue melt, saying:

“The artist, Sandy Williams IV, always intended for the statue to melt, saying ‘by melting these wax versions of famous monuments, people are given agency over these forms that are normally (legally) untouchable.’”

The statue is currently situated outside the Garrison Elementary School as part of the Williams wax monument series. It was first placed there in February 2024 and is a “direct commentary on DC's history of Civil War-era Contraband Camps.”