Lincoln The ' All Known Possible On-The-Planet Photos of Lincoln ' Thread

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
It just occurred to me to wonder, how many photos of Abraham Lincoln exist? Not the bogus ones, the stretches people find and optimistically imagine a likeness between our most unique looking President and the unknown sitter ( who could blame them? ). I'm referring to every, single known photographic image- in a group or as a sitter for a photographer.

I'd say I'll start, have an awful lot of them but it also just occurred to me that in the interests of History- be good to have the background of the photo included if possible- photographer, date, circumstances, in order to make this a really comprehensive thread. Do NOT have that!

OK, just looked one up. I think this tintype is backwards.



" The second earliest known photograph of Lincoln. From a photograph owned originally by George Schneider, former editor of the Illinois Staats-Zeitung, the most influential anti-slavery German newspaper of the West. Mr. Schneider first met Mr. Lincoln in 1853, in Springfield. "He was already a man necessary to know," says Mr. Schneider. In 1854 Mr. Lincoln was in Chicago, and Isaac N. Arnold invited Mr. Schneider to dine with Mr. Lincoln. After dinner, as the gentlemen were going down town, they stopped at an itinerant photograph gallery, and Mr. Lincoln had this picture taken for Mr. Schneider. "

Gelatin silver print
of a presumed lost daguerreotype.

lincoln tintype.jpg






This daguerreotype is the earliest confirmed photographic image of Abraham Lincoln. It was reportedly made in 1846 by Nicholas H. Shepherd shortly after Lincoln was elected to the United States House of Representatives. Shepherd's Daguerreotype Miniature Gallery, which he advertised in the Sangamo Journal, was located in Springfield over the drug store of J. Brookie. Shepherd also studied law at the law office of Lincoln and Herndon.

Daguerreotype, quarter plate

lincoln2.jpg



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photographs_of_Abraham_Lincoln




 
Those are good pics! I believe he sat for that first one to have something to show people - he was mostly unknown except for his circle - and see if he could get more votes. The wild hair was remarked upon considerably! Lincoln explained that photos were rare and he had never had one taken before, so he didn't think about what might have happened to his hair while his hat was sitting on it. (You'd think the photog would hand him a comb, wouldn't you?)

Love the second one. Rarely see anybody's hands - Lincoln's hands aren't those of a city boy!
 
lincon1.jpg

Speaking of bad hair days? Maybe it was one of those ' Deliberate Mess' hairstyles gone a little bit wrong?

February 28, 1857
Alexander Hessler
Gelatin silver print from the lost original negative
"I have a letter from Mr. Hesler stating that [Lincoln] came in and made arrangements for the sitting, so that the members of the bar could get prints. Lincoln said at the time that he did not know why the boys wanted such a homely face. Joseph Medill went with Mr. Lincoln to have the picture taken. He says that the photographer insisted on smoothing down Lincoln's hair, but Lincoln did not like the result, and ran his fingers through it before sitting."
—H. W. Fay of DeKalb, Illinois, original owner
 
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lincoln2.jpg
Lincolnw.jpg


This screwy computer isn't allowing me to post text over photos, only the other way around hence the bunkbed Lincolns here, please excuse.

Top and Bottom bunk, respectively:

May 27, 1857
Joslin, Amon T.
Ambrotype-

Although some historians have dated this photograph during the court session of November 13, 1859, and others have placed it as early as 1853, most authorities now believe it was taken on May 27, 1857. The photographer Amon T. Joslin owned "Joslin's Gallery" located on the second floor of a building adjoining the Woodbury Drug Store, in Danville, IL. This was one of Lincoln's favorite stopping places in Vermilion County, Illinois, while he was a traveling lawyer. Joslin photographed Abraham Lincoln twice at this sitting. Lincoln kept one copy and gave the other to his friend, Thomas J. Hilyard, deputy sheriff of Vermilion County. Today, one original resides in the Illinois State Historical Library.



1858
Cole, Roderick M.
Peoria, Illinois-
Daguerreotype

Benjamin Shapell Family Manuscript Foundation
Lincoln liked this image and often signed photographic prints for admirers. In fact, in 1861, he even gave a copy to his stepmother. The image was extensively employed on campaign ribbons in the 1860 Presidential campaign, and Lincoln "often signed photographic prints for visitors.
"...the Photo you have of Abraham Lincoln is a copy of a Daguerreotype, that I made in my gallery in this city [Peoria] during the Lincoln and Douglas campaign. I invited him to my gallery to give me a sitting...and when I had my plate ready, he said to me, 'I cannot see why all you artists want a likeness of me unless it is because I am the homeliest man in the State of Illinois.'"
—R.M. Cole, July 3, 1905 letter to David McCulloch
 
Those are good pics! I believe he sat for that first one to have something to show people - he was mostly unknown except for his circle - and see if he could get more votes. The wild hair was remarked upon considerably! Lincoln explained that photos were rare and he had never had one taken before, so he didn't think about what might have happened to his hair while his hat was sitting on it. (You'd think the photog would hand him a comb, wouldn't you?)

Love the second one. Rarely see anybody's hands - Lincoln's hands aren't those of a city boy!

These early ones are a kick, really- not many politicians with his look OR hands, to be sure. Maybe it's why I don't find Lincoln at all unattractive, never did. Of course, kinda like Uncle Billy too for that matter so go figure me for taste. ( Buford would have to be my little girl Poster Boy, if teenage girls bought those things in Target in 1861... my little attic room would have been papered. ) My 3xuncle was a politician, a very nice looking man but described as ' fat and funny' by a Richmond paper- as indeed he was.

Never seen the first one either, Annie. Ole' Abe had a "bad hair day". Maybe that's where Conan O'Brien got his look.

Yes but Ken, Conan isn't quite as funny as our Abe, someone should tell him to read up on some History, maybe swipe a few of Lincoln's lines. :D Heck, when you're President, your hair can look any old way you want, folks pretty much HAVE to like it!
 
The photo of Lincoln & co during his 2nd Inaugural Address is one of my favorites:
Expired Image Removed
It's also fun to see how many people you can identify around him. Some people have claimed to identify John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators but I'm a little skeptical there. I'm more inclined to believe this one is legit:
37df32ebd5088e3d8d27f3c23f9d2b54-bear-in-a-top-hat-riding-abraham-lincoln.jpg
 
The photo of Lincoln & co during his 2nd Inaugural Address is one of my favorites:
Expired Image Removed
It's also fun to see how many people you can identify around him. Some people have claimed to identify John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators but I'm a little skeptical there. I'm more inclined to believe this one is legit:
37df32ebd5088e3d8d27f3c23f9d2b54-bear-in-a-top-hat-riding-abraham-lincoln.jpg


Yes, wasn't that first revealed to us on History 2 channel? I know what you're going to say, what makes their sources better than Wiki? Why should we believe them when so many tell us this is silly, Lincoln had brown eyes?
 
What a great thread, I had not seen several of these! Sadly I do not have any contributions which have not already appeared but I will gladly keep checking in to see what else turns up :smile coffee: :D
 
What a great thread, I had not seen several of these! Sadly I do not have any contributions which have not already appeared but I will gladly keep checking in to see what else turns up :smile coffee: :D

Oh heck, if anyone can help, it'd be great, if not heck also- I'm a little tied to the coach at the moment, what a terrible, terrible chore, having to sift through History for hours at a time. :smile:
 
Little but of a gear shift momentarily, some out of the studio and/or group shots

lincolnten.jpg

Nov. 1863, This is apparently not proven, but some feel the man in the cener, in the top hat is Lincoln on the way to the podium at Gettysburg.

lincolntwelve1.jpg

His 2nd election- addressing the crowd on The Day
lincolntwelve2.jpg

Close up

lincoln funeral cortege.jpg

Hated to include something from 1865m had never seen this shot of the funeral cortege before- and
he' is in there albeit without an actuak portrait. Sorry! A stretch.

lincoln7.jpg

Lincoln nagging, I mean visiting McClellan at Antietam, McClellan sitting on telephone books for the occasion. ( Sorry- not a Little Mac fan- I'd have nagged him, too! ) And who uses a flag for a table cloth??

lincoln31.jpg


At Antietam, Lincoln made Mac get down off the phone books so they could converse eye to navel.

lincoln32.jpg

Same, but with Pinkerton.

lincoln33.jpg

With John Hays and John Nicolay, secretaries- I think this was Hay's favorite photo of Lincoln.

lincoln35.jpg

Dad and Thomas/Tad- he smiled a lot around the children

OK, intermission over. Back to the feature.
 
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