A six-foot-tall wax statue of former US President Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC began to melt over the weekend as temperatures soared to 37 degrees Celsius.
Located at the site of Camp Barker, a Civil War-era refugee camp for freed African Americans, the statue's head and legs succumbed to the heat, prompting authorities to initiate repairs.
Commissioned by CulturalDC, the statue was part of the Wax Monument Series and was intended to remain at the site until September 2024. Created by artist Sandy Williams, the wax sculpture, weighing 3,000 lbs, was designed to change over time like a candle. However, the extreme heat caused significant damage, with the statue's head removed preemptively to prevent further deterioration.
CulturalDC commented on the incident, noting the statue's wax has a melting point of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The installation, titled "40 ACRES: Camp Barker," commemorates the historical significance of Contraband Camps during the Civil War, where formerly enslaved African Americans sought refuge.
The incident coincides with a broader heatwave affecting parts of the US, prompting warnings from weather forecasters and officials to take precautions against extreme temperatures.
