as a teenager working at the colorado museum of natural history in 1909, lincoln learned to prepare specimens from alexander wetmore (who was then a student working at the museum) and l. j. hershey, the museum's curator of ornithology. lincoln's interest in birds continued to develop, and he eventually went on to succeed hershey as curator in 1913, a post which he held until 1920. he took time out in 1918–1919 to serve as pigeon expert in the u.s. army signal corps. the professional relationship with wetmore would continue: the two scientists took field trips together in washington and hispaniola and co-wrote eight publications.