Local historian, John Maranelli, will present a lecture on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the Ossining Public Library on Thursday, September 16, at 5:00pm. The lecture is free to attend and everyone is welcome. The library is located at 53 Croton Avenue in Ossining, New York.

The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, our country's 16th president, is well documented but never ceases to intrigue and engage people as well as inspire debate. Mr. Maranelli became intrigued by Lincoln's assassination after having seen the 1977 film, The Lincoln Conspiracy. The film, which is entirely speculative, documents the theory that Lincoln had escaped to Canada following the attempt on his life. While the film is fictional, there have always been various conspiracy theories surrounding the true historical facts of Lincoln's murder. The juxtaposition of the real facts with the various “theories” of Lincoln's assassination is what got Maranelli interested in the subject.

Mr. Maranelli has spent endless hours researching the subject. He has traveled to Washington, DC, spent hours in Ford's Theater and in the National Archives as well as researching and photographing key locations in the area. He has assembled many archival documents, diagrams, maps and photographs into a compelling presentation that will accompany his lecture. Over the 145 years since Lincoln's life was cut short on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, interest in the details of the assassination still runs high. Mr. Maranelli's lecture will run for approximately one hour and will be followed by a question and answer session.

For information about this program or any of the other programs at the Ossining Public Library, call (914) 941-2416.