8. Taken by T.P. Pearson in Macomb, IL on August 26, 1858. This photo was taken five days after the first Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
April 16, 2007
Abraham Lincoln - July 1858 - Springfield
7. Taken by Preston Butler in Springfield, IL on July 18, 1858.
Abraham Lincoln - May 1858 - Beardstown, IL
6. Taken by Abraham M. Byers in Beardstown, IL on May 7, 1858. Lincoln was in Beardstown to defend Duff Armstrong, the son of his friend Jack Armstrong, who was accused of murder. The prosecution’s case rested on the testimony of an eyewitness, who claimed to have seen Armstrong commit the murder. Lincoln produced an almanac that showed that the murder was committed on a moonless night, and the witness couldn’t have seen what occurred. The jury promptly acquitted Armstrong of all charges.
Abraham Lincoln - April 1858 - Urbana, IL
5. Taken by Samuel G. Alschuler in Urbana, IL on April 25, 1858. Lincoln is wearing a velvet jacket lent to him by photographer. Lincoln would be photographed by Alschuler two years later (see # 41) – in the first photograph showing his newly grown beard.
Abraham Lincoln - Mary 1857 - Danville, IL
4. Taken by Amon T. Joslin in Danville, IL on May 27, 1857.
Abraham Lincoln - February 1857 - Chicago
3. Taken by Alexander Hesler in Chicago, IL on February 28, 1857. Lincoln thought this likeness "a very true one, though my wife and many others do not." He deliberately mussed up his hair because, he thought, people who knew him wouldn't recognize him with neatly combed hair. Hesler would journey to Springfield three years later to take a famous series of pictures of the newly nominated Republican presidential candidate.
Abraham Lincoln - October 1854 - Chicago
2. Taken by J.C.F. Polycarp von Schneidau in Chicago, IL on October 27, 1854. Lincoln is holding a copy of the German anti-slavery newspaper “Staat Zeitung.”
Abraham Lincoln - 1846 - Springfield
1. The earliest known photograph of Lincoln, taken in Springfield, IL by Nicholas H. Shepherd. The photo is believed to have been taken in 1846, perhaps after Lincoln's election to Congress on August 3, 1846.
April 5, 2007
Hello, And Welcome!
Hello, and welcome to my blog. I’m glad you found it!
I have been a fan of Abraham Lincoln since I was a child. Growing up in Illinois, Lincoln is a central figure in our upbringing. After all, we Illinoisans still celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12th, rather than lumping him together with all the other presidents on Presidents Day. Since then I have read numerous books about Lincoln. There’s an old saying that you should never get to know your heroes, since you’ll only be disappointed. But with Lincoln, the exact opposite is true. The more you get to know him, the more you realize what a great man, a great president, and a great American he was.
My fascination with Lincoln brings with it a fascination with his image, as captured by contemporary photographers. Since photography was then in its infancy, most of the existing photographs of Lincoln are “official” portraits taken by professional portrait photographers. Photo technique being what it was then, there are only a handful of photos of Lincoln taken outside the studio. Professional researchers and historians have determined there are around 130 existing photographs of Lincoln, from the first existing photo taken in 1846 to one taken a few weeks before he was assassinated (plus two known photographs that show his body at rest after his death).
My goal here is to present as many of the existing Lincoln photographs that I can find, with as much background information that I can provide. Since I’m only an amateur historian, I doubt I’ll provide any information or images that are new to academics and professionals. What I hope to do, however, is to provide amateurs and others who are interested with a glimpse into the life of America’s Greatest President.
At some point I’ll provide a list of the best Lincoln web sites, especially those that relate to photographs and images of the president. In the mean time, here is a list of books that proved invaluable to me in conducting my research:
-- Lincoln’s Photographs, by Lloyd Ostendorf
-- The Face of Lincoln, by James Mellon
-- Abraham Lincoln in Print and Photograph, by Cecil K. Byrd and Ward W. Moore
-- Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography, by Philip B. Kunhardt Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, Peter W. Kunhardt
-- Lincoln: A Picture Story of His Life, by Stefan Lorant
I hope you enjoy this blog. Many thanks for visiting, and please come back often as I add photographs to this site. In the mean time, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to provide any additional information.
I have been a fan of Abraham Lincoln since I was a child. Growing up in Illinois, Lincoln is a central figure in our upbringing. After all, we Illinoisans still celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12th, rather than lumping him together with all the other presidents on Presidents Day. Since then I have read numerous books about Lincoln. There’s an old saying that you should never get to know your heroes, since you’ll only be disappointed. But with Lincoln, the exact opposite is true. The more you get to know him, the more you realize what a great man, a great president, and a great American he was.
My fascination with Lincoln brings with it a fascination with his image, as captured by contemporary photographers. Since photography was then in its infancy, most of the existing photographs of Lincoln are “official” portraits taken by professional portrait photographers. Photo technique being what it was then, there are only a handful of photos of Lincoln taken outside the studio. Professional researchers and historians have determined there are around 130 existing photographs of Lincoln, from the first existing photo taken in 1846 to one taken a few weeks before he was assassinated (plus two known photographs that show his body at rest after his death).
My goal here is to present as many of the existing Lincoln photographs that I can find, with as much background information that I can provide. Since I’m only an amateur historian, I doubt I’ll provide any information or images that are new to academics and professionals. What I hope to do, however, is to provide amateurs and others who are interested with a glimpse into the life of America’s Greatest President.
At some point I’ll provide a list of the best Lincoln web sites, especially those that relate to photographs and images of the president. In the mean time, here is a list of books that proved invaluable to me in conducting my research:
-- Lincoln’s Photographs, by Lloyd Ostendorf
-- The Face of Lincoln, by James Mellon
-- Abraham Lincoln in Print and Photograph, by Cecil K. Byrd and Ward W. Moore
-- Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography, by Philip B. Kunhardt Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, Peter W. Kunhardt
-- Lincoln: A Picture Story of His Life, by Stefan Lorant
I hope you enjoy this blog. Many thanks for visiting, and please come back often as I add photographs to this site. In the mean time, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to provide any additional information.
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