• It is amazing to see how much he aged over his term in office. He looks extremely tired here, but happy, like he knew that he had done some good. I don't agree with his federal government control, but I still look up to him as a great man. - moonletters
  • most u.s. presidents seem to age faster than usual during their term, loss of sleep perhaps? - djune
  • You'd age pretty quick to if your country was falling apart and you were at the helm. - Marshalus
  • Here again, the growth is lower than in this photo. The bridge here is more difficult to compare. - USGolfers
  • wonder where this watch is now? - ndobert
  • One of his pocket watch can be found in Frankfort, KY at the History Museum. Maybe it's the same one?
    history.ky.gov/sub.php?pageid=4&sectionid=2 - Marilah

Abraham Lincoln, Pres't U.S. (LOC)

Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882, photographer.

Abraham Lincoln, Pres't U.S.

Washington, D.C. : Philp & Solomons, ©1865.

1 photographic print : albumen, on carte de visite mount ; 10 x 6 cm.

Notes:
 Photograph from Lincoln's last formal portrait sitting, Feb. 5, 1865, in Washington, D.C. "One of five poses taken by Gardner ten weeks before the President was assassinated." (Source: Ostendorf, p. 219)

Published in: Lincoln's photographs: a complete album / by Lloyd Ostendorf. Dayton, OH: Rockywood Press, 1998, p. 224-5.

Title from item.

Subjects:
 Lincoln, Abraham--1809-1865.

Format: Portrait photographs--1860-1870.
Cartes de visite--1860-1870.
Albumen prints--1860-1870.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.19215

Call Number: Unprocessed in PR 13 CN 1972:018 [item]

Comments and faves

  1. ★

    Dean Stevens, *Milou*, random letters, Reno the Girl, and 115 other people added this photo to their favorites.

  2. *Milou* (47 months ago | reply)

    It looks like he is playing with something in his hands. I wonder what that was? A watch perhaps. A coin. Interesting.

  3. *Milou* (47 months ago | reply)

    On closer inspection, I see a watch chain over his thumb -- must be his watch.

  4. random letters (47 months ago | reply)

    I really like this one. We've all seen so many photos of Lincoln with the same serious face, where here he's almost smiling and he's definitely fiddling with a watch or something. Makes him seem more like a real person.

  5. James Jordan (47 months ago | reply)

    A much earlier photo also shows his left hand blurry. He would have sat for enough long exposure photos to know he shouldn't fiddle with his hands while posing. I think he couldn't completely control his left hand for some reason.

  6. NancyLiu@USA (47 months ago | reply)

    A President of a country usually is not a professional on modeling, and usually the gesture a person posed reflects his personality and style.

    From this image, Lincoln, a man focus on his work, looks relax even though in a tiresome smile. It must be very tough to be a President during Civil War, and to be a White male to conduct slavery abolishment that means he was working under life threaten condition when he needs to faces the crowd on this issue.

    The passion and tension over so many public issues. Is it good to be a leader?

  7. fw652830 (47 months ago | reply)

    The ravages of a terrible Civil War (1861-1865) was evident on the aging face of Father Abraham. The war took its toll on Lincoln's appearance, as evidenced by this timeless photograph. Yet, we remember this age-scarred face across the of corridors of time. He will never ever, ever be forgotten. Rest well and well done, Father Abraham,....pass thru the gates.

  8. Exquisitely Bored in Nacogdoches (47 months ago | reply)

    God bless Abraham Lincoln.

  9. William Allen, Image Historian (47 months ago | reply)

    Aprospos the comment of Moonletters and the comment of fw652830 on the Gardner image: I recall a televised interview with Jacqueline Kennedy after the death of her husband. The interview was on the occasion if the publication of James Mellon's The Face of Lincoln by Viking (I think J.K. was by then an editor at Viking). At any rate, Kennedy contrasted the eyes of Lincoln from early presidential photographs of Lincoln to late ones and she talked of the aging process. I recall that she called attention to the earlier arched eyebrows to the later softer ones. The book drew from hundreds of portraits of Lincoln, not just those in the LOC.

  10. Peachhead (1,000,000 views!) (47 months ago | reply)

    Lincoln looks at peace in this photo. I really like it. The tie hanging askew just adds to the charm!!!!

  11. ELCore (47 months ago | reply)

    He is known to have been holding his spectacles when this photo was taken. His watch would have been in the pocket of his vest.

  12. jillyr2000 (46 months ago | reply)

    Great picture. I almost feel like I'm really looking at him in person, and it gives me chills.

  13. Pedro Bautista (46 months ago | reply)

    uno de los mejores que ha habido...

    --
    Seen in your Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) set. (?)

  14. unclezuck (46 months ago | reply)

    He aged a lot in those four years, poor guy....

  15. Douglas606 (45 months ago | reply)

    I admire Lincoln because he took time to be kind and talk with the teenage messenger boys who brought the war telegraphs to the White House.

  16. jaciii (off&on) (36 months ago | reply)

    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called *The Master Photographer*, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

  17. ndobert (35 months ago | reply)

    one of the best presidents ever

  18. El Tecolote (32 months ago | reply)

    The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War
    www.amazon.com/Real-Lincoln-Abraham-Agenda-Un necessary/dp...

  19. NancyLiu@USA (32 months ago | reply)

    An Unencessary War ?

    The war is really cause by some group of people's arrogance. Most of war in human history are caused by the conflict of men's ego and arrogance.

    Human's nature like to offend or belittle the other person, and what would happen if that person who was offended has the power over military. Don't say he or she is a President of a country or a leader of a region.

    Should we say the best way to keep peace in human society is to stop belittling another human being, no mater how little they are or what kind of leaders they are.

    But, arrogance is the human nature quality. Who can stop a person to humiliate the other one and stop to act "I am better than you" or my advantages of taking/controlling resource is more important than yours?

    This will never end in human society.

  20. Kombizz (30 months ago | reply)

    nice finding

  21. Hyphy Hands Lincoln (12 months ago | reply)

    Gramps!!

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