Greta Pratt's Lincoln Op-Art in New York Times

In conjunction with Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday last week, and Presidents Day today, Greta Pratt's photographic series "19 Lincolns" was featured on the Opinion pages of the Feb. 16 edition of The New York Times.

"During their sittings, I asked them why they chose to dress and act as Lincoln. Some mentioned that a natural resemblance helped them fall into this particular line of work. Others focused on personal transformation. 'I lost my own being,' said one presenter, who explained how becoming Lincoln helped him to give up drinking. But nearly all of them spoke of a desire to share with the wider world their admiration for Lincoln's moral character. As one remarked, 'He's the rare person who improves the closer he is scrutinized,'" writes Pratt in her op-art piece.

Pratt, an assistant professor of photography in the art department at Old Dominion University, is the author of the photography books "Using History" and "In Search of the Corn Queen."

Read Pratt's piece and view her photographs in The New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/opinion/16opartintro.html?scp=1&sq=Greta%20Pratt&st=cse.