This browser does not support the Video element.
WASHINGTON - A profile sketch of a woman with curly hair, dark makeup, and smoking a cigarette scrawled on concrete in the undercroft of the Lincoln Memorial could be that of silent-film star Theda Bara, according to a Washington Post report.
Renovation project uncovers century-old artwork
What we know:
The century-old graffiti, likely done with a carpenter’s pencil, was discovered on the pillars in the basement of the monument during a $69 million renovation initiative. This project will create 15,000 square feet of exhibit space to tell the story of the memorial while giving visitors a glimpse into the cavernous area below the structure. Next to the sketch is the word "Vamp," a seductive image popularized by Bara. The actress was in her prime during the late 1910s, the same years the memorial was under construction, and was one of the most popular and glamorous stars of the silent film era.
READ MORE: Lincoln Memorial museum, exhibits to be added as part of $69 million upgrade project
Graffiti adorns a wall in the 'undercroft' of the Lincoln Memorial February 15, 2016 in Washington, DC. Rubenstein announced he is giving 18 million dollars to make improvements to the Lincoln Memorial. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Graffiti likely created by memorial workers
What's next:
National Park Service spokesperson for the National Mall, Mike Litterst, speculates that one of Bara's most popular films, "A Fool There Was" from 1915, could have inspired the drawing. According to the Post, the NPS believes the "Vamp" graffiti, along with other sketches and drawings, were created by the workers who built the memorial.
Completion of the Lincoln Memorial project is expected in 2026, in time for the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The Source: The Washington Post, the National Park Service, and FOX 5 DC