US: Brutal DC Heat Melts Former President Abraham Lincoln's Wax Statue

The six-foot-tall effigy of former US President Lincoln lost its head by Monday morning, followed by the legs.

The six-foot-tall effigy of former US President Lincoln lost its head by Monday morning, followed by the legs.

Source : X/@volcaholic1

A wax statue of former US President Abraham Lincoln has melted as the temperature soared in Washington, DC, over the weekend. The six-foot-tall effigy lost its head by Monday morning, followed by the legs, but its torso remained intact.

The chair supporting the effigy also sank in the scorching heat in the US capital. Lincoln’s statue by Richmond artist Sandy Williams IV was installed in February on the campus of Garrison Elementary School in Northwest Washington.

A wax sculpture of Abraham Lincoln in Northwest DC has melted due to the heat....🥵

Before and after.....

Quote from the artist Sandy Williams to the Intelligencer....

"I previously had joked that when our climate gets bad enough to where we are living in an environment where… pic.twitter.com/tl7bVXP76g

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) June 25, 2024

The head from the wax sculpture of the Lincoln Memorial is now under repair, as reported by the BBC. It left behind a wire sticking out of the former US President’s neck.

According to the Washington Post, the statue was meant to draw attention to the Civil War era and its aftermath and was placed under trees sure to provide enough shade in the summer. The wax statue is part of the Wax Monument Series and is more than just a visual representation. 

However, this is not the first time the artwork has faced melting issues. According to the BBC, when the statue was installed in September last year, the first version of the monument contained over 100 wicks that were prematurely lit, leading to the melting of significant portions of the installation before its dedication ceremony.

Meanwhile in Europe, heatwaves have hit parts of the continent earlier than ever in 2024. The impact of heatwaves across Europe can be gauged from the fact that Greece, Cyprus, Turkiye, and Italy are already hit by extreme heat.

According to Euro News, some places are witnessing temperatures 10 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. The weather forecasters in Europe have predicted that the continent could be in for another unusually hot summer, possibly the hottest on record.