Lincoln Aging in Office

[diane]

This comparison set was so striking to me I thought I would post it. On the left is Lincoln in 1861. The right is the final photo of him - 1865. Four years in office.

 

[Northern Light]

That is incredible! What a toll those four years of worry and strife took on him. Even his hair looks stressed!

 

[Patrick H]

I've seen a comparison just like this in the American Heritage book THE CIVIL WAR. It's pretty remarkable, isn't it?

 

[ole]

They all come out looking more than four years older after one term.

 

[ForeverFree]

This comparison set was so striking to me I thought I would post it. On the left is Lincoln in 1861. The right is the final photo of him - 1865. Four years in office.

Lincoln definitly seems to have aged. But note also that, the lighting in the picture at the left blurs some of the wrinkles and folds in his face.

- Alan

 

[Rebforever]

That is incredible! What a toll those four years of worry and strife took on him. Even his hair looks stressed!

Hair looks stressed?

 

[diane]

Lincoln definitly seems to have aged. But note also that, the lighting in the picture at the left blurs some of the wrinkles and folds in his face.

- Alan

I noticed that, too! If the stress was off and he could have relaxed, I'd bet the next picture would have been closer to the first one of that set. Noticed a similar one comparing our current president - Obama looked really bad in the second one but they used a very recent photo where he was sick as a dog. A bit later he went to the hospital. Everybody looks 20 years older when they're sick!

I think what impresses me most about that set of Lincoln's is not so much the aging as something else. The first one is grim determination, a man you wouldn't want to cross too much. The second is patience, compassion. It shows how Lincoln grew and matured, and changed in a spiritual way, while in office.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Here it is said that politicians pay for being in office with the loss of their lips. And if you look at the photos, that is mostly true. They are obviously forced to press their lips together so often that they simply vanish.
Not Lincoln's lower lip of course...

 

[Northern Light]

Here it is said that politicians pay for being in office with the loss of their lips. And if you look at the photos, that is mostly true. They are obviously forced to press their lips together so often that they simply vanish.
Not Lincoln's lower lip of course...

Better to lose your lips than keep flapping them, thereby getting yourself in deep doodoo, I guess.

 

[frontrank2]

This comparison set was so striking to me I thought I would post it. On the left is Lincoln in 1861. The right is the final photo of him - 1865. Four years in office.

A very good thread, thanks for posting it.

 

[War Horse]

I have read where doctors have studied his appearance and felt he was suffering from some sort of an illness which may have seriously shortened his life had Booth not shortened it first. Although stress alone could have caused it. His presidency was consumed by the civil war literally from day one till the end of his life. What a challenging time to hold office. Very interesting, thank you for posting.

This link discusses one theory.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2009/05/was-lincoln-dying-before-he-was-shot/17955/

 

[FarawayFriend]

Thank you, that is a very interesting link!
The question if the deceased person would have wanted later generations to perform tests never occurred to me before.
But Lincoln certainly did not look like a healthy person. Nevertheless the assassination was a tragedy for both formerly opponent sides.

 

[ole]

No way way to actually know if he would have survived a second term, healthwise, but presiding over a peace couldn't have been as hard as presiding over a war.

 

[tmh10]

Diane, The pictures you posted are a good way for us to understand the stress of what these men went through. You can go through all the presidents and see similar changes. In my opinion, it would be a real surprise if Lincoln could have not been affected.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

He'd lost a child, too, the second Lincoln lost and had poor Mary's subsequent meltdown in those wrinkles. And her dead relatives and Elmer. An entire war wasn't enough- the politics, politics within his armies, whiney generals, immobile ones- arrogant, wannabe dictator, insolent ones, thousands and thousands of dead men and an entire race of basically homeless people. I mean, whew.

 

[donna]

Very interesting thread. I think if you look at pictures of U.S. President most show age after serving in office. They want the job but I don't think they realize how much it will age them. One has a nation to take care of with millions of citizens. It has got to be one of the hardest positions to have. I have never envied any of them. They have stress everyday and also has to take a toil on their families.

Lincoln had a country divided. He had family on both sides. I don't think he ever got over the lost of his son during the war years. Mary too had to cause a lot of stress with her mental issues at times and her grief over the lost of their son, Willie.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Very interesting thread. I think if you look at pictures of U.S. President most show age after serving in office. They want the job but I don't think they realize how much it will age them. One has a nation to take care of with millions of citizens. It has got to be one of the hardest positions to have. I have never envied any of them. They have stress everyday and also has to take a toil on their families.

Lincoln had a country divided. He had family on both sides. I don't think he ever got over the lost of his son during the war years. Mary too had to cause a lot of stress with her mental issues at times and her grief over the lost of their son, Willie.

Yes- it's not being political, or modern politics to say who would want to be president, any time any era? For that matter, who would want to be famous? Honest to goodness, yes, easy for me to say with no hope regardless and rest assured I'll never be- but GOOD THING. Those people never have a moment's peace or normal life, stalked every time they step outside, every word they say is written down and followed as if God himself spoke it ( has to be unnerving, all of a sudden you're the Pied Piper ) and if you put on 5 pounds you're dog meat? No, I thank you. Add having the responsibility for LIVES on your hands and you get that photo of Lincoln.

Wonder if anyone is ever ready to be President? I mean really- the toll it takes. Lincoln never really wanted to believe how many people were committed to killing him- right until the end. Maybe he just didn't wish to think about it, do not blame him. You'd never get to sleep at night, especially after that terrible dream he had.

 

[huskerblitz]

I have read where doctors have studied his appearance and felt he was suffering from some sort of an illness which may have seriously shortened his life had Booth not shortened it first. Although stress alone could have caused it. His presidency was consumed by the civil war literally from day one till the end of his life. What a challenging time to hold office. Very interesting, thank you for posting.

This link discusses one theory.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2009/05/was-lincoln-dying-before-he-was-shot/17955/

There was a show on recently about this, can't remember the name right off the top of my head and still have it on DVR, but they finally did some testing and all of the tests came back as negative on that particular disease.

Lincoln's Secret Killer was the name of the show.

 

[diane]

There was a show on recently about this, can't remember the name right off the top of my head and still have it on DVR, but they finally did some testing and all of the tests came back as negative on that particular disease.

Lincoln's Secret Killer was the name of the show.

They are kind of sorting out whether Lincoln was ill at all, including major depression. Depression there's no doubt about it - if he didn't have it that would be what was wrong! Major depression he would hardly have been able to function. But Lincoln was actually very strong physically and noted for being athletic. When the White House stables caught fire he ran down the hill to get his dead son's pony out of there, leaping high hedges on the way!

 

[War Horse]

They are kind of sorting out whether Lincoln was ill at all, including major depression. Depression there's no doubt about it - if he didn't have it that would be what was wrong! Major depression he would hardly have been able to function. But Lincoln was actually very strong physically and noted for being athletic. When the White House stables caught fire he ran down the hill to get his dead son's pony out of there, leaping high hedges on the way!

When Shields challenged him to a duel Lincoln picked long swords as weapons. Lincoln demonstrated how well he could yeld the massived blades in the tree limbs above their heads. After Lincolns demonstration of strength Shields became much more agreeable to discussing alternatives. I've always enjoyed that story.