On election night 2008, when hundreds of thousands of people were wildly celebrating the election of Barack Obama to be the 44th president of the United States, a different kind of commemoration was taking place at the Lincoln Memorial. There, in a slow drizzle, twenty-six strangers gathered around a transistor radio and listened to the new president address the nation from Grant Park in Chicago.

Like a scene out of Close Encounters, these 26 folks felt a need to go to this spot, where Abraham Lincoln is enshrined and where Martin Luther King gave his country one of its most treasured pieces of oratory. Though the sounds of celebration could be heard from the nearby White House, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial not a sound was heard. No news media, no video lights, no cheering. Just hope.

Now you can own a beautiful limited edition 11 x 14 print of that scene, taken by celebrated Washington photographer Matt Mendelsohn. A veteran of UPI and USA Today, of wars, the White House beat and professional sporting events, Mendelsohn was the only journalist to capture the profound quiet of the Lincoln Memorial gathering that night in November.

Each limited edition 11 x 14 fine art print (9" x 9" image size) is hand signed and numbered by the photographer. You can opt for color or black and white. Priced at $175, it's a great way to celebrate the beginning of a new era in America. Whether for your personal collection or for a loved one, this photograph is sure to be a meaningful gift.

To purchase "Listening to Obama, 11/5/08, 12:15 a.m." by Matt Mendelsohn, click here.

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Here's what people are saying about "Listening to Obama, 11/5/08, 12:15 a.m.:

Dear Matt:
I'm not getting married and I don't need a portrait. I just wanted to let you know what you already know - the photo of the Lincoln Memorial on election night is a masterpiece. I have personally named it "Lincoln's Children" and it recalls for me my climb up those steps twenty or so years ago (I'm an old lady now). As I climbed, tears came spontaneously and much to my surprise. When I saw your photo this morning, there they were again - the tears.

I'm a writer, but in this case I happily acknowledge that a picture is worth a thousand words, mostly because I can't even think of the right ones to describe the feelings this picture brought. I hope somebody buys a big copy of this and hangs it where everyone in the White House, the Congress and the Supreme Court can see it every day. You've captured the essence of the New America.

All best from an old lady.
Molly, from Whidbey Island, WA

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Matt:

Hi there. I wanted to email you and thank you for the photo of the Lincoln Memorial on election night. I am one of the folks in the photo - I am the bald guy sitting on the steps on the right-hand side of the photo at the base of the right column. I am wearing the black leather jacket looking away to the right.

It was such a special night that I never imagined would lead me there. My roommate and I had gone to an election night party and driven home to Alexandria. We were sitting at home, ready to go to bed, when it became official that Obama had won. We knew then that we HAD to go somewhere.

At first we thought to go to the town square in Old Town Alexandria since its right down the street. However as soon as we started driving we said no, we MUST to go to the Lincoln Memorial. When we arrived there was only a small group of folks, which surprised me. I was inside the the Memorial reading the inscriptions on the wall when suddenly I heard Obama's voice giving his speech. That single instant still sends shivers up my spine.

It's really funny how people can converge to share a moment in time. Such an eclectic group of folks who, for whatever reason, had been drawn to go there. I still can't find words to explain it. But slowly, one by one, we sat down to listen. But I know it is a moment that each of us will remember forever - it truly was special.

I did not know that the photo you took existed until my mom emailed me. My father was listening to the NY Times (he is partially blind and his computer reads the newspaper for him). He heard your essay in the Times and knew I had been there because I wrote on my Facebook page about the amazing experience. My mom emailed me letting me know that someone had written about it.

When I finally saw the photo online I was truly speechless. It perfectly captured the essence of that moment; what we all felt listening to Obama's speech while sitting on the steps of that most beautiful and inspirational memorial.

None of us know what the next four years hold. I realize they will be difficult given the multitude of staggering problems that we must face. However I do know that for once, in a long, long time, I really do feel hope. And while hope may not pay the bills or the mortgage, hope is something that inspires and motivates me to make tomorrow better than today. America may not solve all of its problems in the next four years; but on that night, in that moment, in that photo - we saw our potential.

All the Best,

Justin
Alexandria, VA

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Matt:

The Lincoln Memorial has always been my favorite monument in DC. It epitomizes not just a great man, but many of the great things our country stands for. Your photo brought me to tears even tho it is 5 days after the election. It reminds me how great our country can be. Thank you.

Anita from Ohio