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A six-foot-tall wax statue of Abraham Lincoln, created by US-based artist Sandy Williams IV, began to melt in the sweltering heat of Washington, DC, over the weekend. By Monday, the statue had lost its head, its legs had separated from its torso, and its right foot had melted, according to reports.
Washington, DC, experienced temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday.
The white wax statue, a replica of the Lincoln Memorial, was installed outdoors on the campus of an elementary school in Northwest Washington in February this year. The non-profit organization CulturalDC, which commissioned the statue, said, “Our staff has purposely removed Lincoln’s head to prevent it from falling and breaking.”
 "Before and after images of six-foot-tall wax replica of the Abraham Lincoln at Garrison Elementary School")
CulturalDC explained that the 3,000-pound wax sculpture is intended to change over time and be burned like a candle, but the extreme heat had accelerated this process. The wax used in the Abraham Lincoln statue has a congealing point of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The installation, titled “40 ACRES: Camp Barker,” was scheduled to remain at the school until September. CulturalDC’s press release explained, “The installation is a direct commentary on DC’s history of Civil War-era Contraband Camps, refugee camps that housed formerly enslaved and free African Americans. Camp Barker was positioned where Garrison Elementary now stands.”
Extreme temperatures are affecting several parts of the US, with weather forecasters warning residents in the central and eastern regions to prepare for more hot streaks this month.
