Living With Lincoln

Living With Lincoln is a gripping and immensely poignant documentary that weaves together the vast personal archives and rich family history of the Kunhardt family to explore the psychological and emotional complexities of their devotion to Abraham Lincoln. Screened in 2015 and co-directed by Peter W. Kunhardt along with his two sons Teddy and George Kunhardt, this riveting documentary shines a light onto the pivotal role the 16th President of the United States had on their family lineage.

The film is narrated by Peter W. Kunhardt himself, and also features excerpts from notable actress Dossy Peabody, who lends her voice to the historical characters. With graceful candor, the film unfurls the deeply-held fascination and obsession the Kunhardt ancestors had towards Lincoln, dating back to the days of the Civil War when a patriarch of their lineage, Meserve Kunhardt, happened to be a close acquaintance of the President.

The documentary underscores the intersecting lives of the Kunhardts and Abraham Lincoln and explores the immense psychological burden that this unique family legacy represented. Digging into the collection of over 700 Lincoln-related artifacts and Meserve’s photographic studio archives, Peter Kunhardt lays bare the tales embedded within this trove. The story is interlaced with remarkable portraits of Lincoln, original writings, murals, personal family photos, and more. These various materials and visuals add depth and rich texture to the narrative, providing a unique perspective on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln that is rarely seen.

The film opens with Peter W. Kunhardt's reflection on growing up surrounded by this treasure trove of Lincoln memorabilia. He details an almost symbiotic relationship with the President - one that shaped the lives and careers of the family members throughout generations.

Yet, the documentary is not just about Abraham Lincoln or his intersection with the Kunhardt family. It’s about the generational passage of stewardship, the tethering between personal and national history, and the weight of familial legacy. It grapples with the question of the family’s responsibility towards these invaluable pieces of American history — who owns the past and who is its rightful custodian?

The quest to 'live with Lincoln' becomes a generational story, where each successive Kunhardt has to somehow find a way to reconcile, engage, and deal with the daunting legacy. Such an intimate connection to a ‘larger than life’ president is revealed to be both a privilege and a burden — and the documentary delves into its impact on the family’s psyche with candid honesty. It looks at how, for some of them, this obsessive fascination led to catastrophe, while for others, it led to great academic and professional achievements.

The dissection of Meserve Kunhardt's obsession and subsequent impact on his descendants provides an intriguing view into how history and obsession can shape the mind. 'Living with Lincoln' prods at the varying perspectives of the family members towards Lincoln and unravels the strain it brought into their lives.

Furthermore, Peter Kunhardt uses this personal narrative to feed deeper into the larger, national narrative of Lincoln himself. With the personal archives as a starting point, he presents an introspective biographical portrait of Lincoln. Lincoln — his politics, his presidency, his handling of the Civil War, his image evolution, and especially, his tragic assassination — is deeply studied and intimately connected to the family's narrative thread.

Conclusively, Living With Lincoln serves as a touching tribute to both the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the emotional journey of the Kunhardt family. The documentary transcends the boundaries of the family's living room, providing audiences with a touching glimpse into one family's extraordinary historical legacy.

Beautifully interlacing personal memoir with historical narrative, this feature is as much a cinematic ancestry diary as a profound exploration of enduring fascination toward an iconic figure. It is a must-watch for history enthusiasts, future historians, and individuals open to be deeply moved by the power of legacy and history.