|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A large and powerful, full length portrait of Abraham Lincoln in an elegant setting that suggests the White House in Washington. The president is framed by the pillar of strength and the curtain of elegance, while his table contains books, a lamp and a paper. A very elegant chair surmounted by an eagle is behind Lincoln.
Upon closer inspection a nimbus surrounds the president's head and the lamp from an earlier use of the steel plate. In 1859 the plate had been used to print portraits of John C. Fremont when he was running for the office of president for the second time as a Republican. On the table was a globe. When Lincoln gained the nomination in 1860 the plate was reused by burnishing out the head of Fremont and changing the globe to a reading lamp. At first Lincoln appeared clean shaven in the second state, and soon thereafter the third state was created when the beard was added. $850
"President Lincoln's Grand March." Stone lithography, colored. Published by F.A. Doggett. New York, 1862. 13 x 9 1/4 (sheet). The musical piece is credited to F.B. Helmsmuller. The sheet is cut a bit close on all sides, the bottom left corner is replaced, and some text at the bottom is cut off. An attractive piece.
A lovely and heart felt portrait of Abraham Lincoln whose flag draped oval portrait stands on a stone base flanked by allegorical female figures representing Peace and War. By this time the war had mounting casualties on both sides, but the tenor of this print was to exhibit determination to persevere. $350
"Abraham Lincoln" [printed autograph]. "President of the United States." Steel engraving by George Perine. 10 3/4 x 8 (image) plus full margins. New York: George E. Perine, 1864. Excellent condition.
A handsome and strong three quarters portrait of Lincoln seated in an elegant chair by a luxurious curtain. The paper on his desk is the Emancipation Proclamation. Perine made many small book illustrations in his time, but this is a larger and richer piece. By 1864 Lincoln's writing and signing the Emancipation Proclamation was seen as a crowning achievement of his presidency. $600
"Abraham Lincoln." New York: Rudolf Lesch, 225 Fifth Ave., 1864+. 26 x 19 (image) plus full margins. Steel engraving. See ref. Milton Kaplan, "Heads of State." Winterthur Portfolio 6 (1970): 139-40, figs. 10 & 11. Strong image; three expertly repaired tears. Scarce.
Thanks to Kaplan's article we know that the model for this imposing full length image of Lincoln is a smaller engraved portrait of John C. Calhoun that was published in Duyckinck's National Portrait Gallery (New York, 1864): II, 162. The elements are very similar with the exception of the titles on the documents on the table. Calhoun's documents read, "Strict Construction," "Free Trade" and "The Sovereignty of the States." Lincoln's documents are: "Constitution," "Union," and "Proclamation of Freedom." Spine titles of two books on the table are Jefferson Works. The Library of Congress print was published by William Pate, and this one is by Rudolf Lesch not much is known about either of them.
A strong portrayal of the savior of the country, probably popular among those mourning his assassination. Not found in major publications that should include such a portrait. $1,200
Compare to: "J.C. Calhoun." 7 3/8 x 5 3/8. Steel engraving. Very good condition. $65
"A. Lincoln." Lithographed portrait surmounting a facsimile autograph in a large oval. 14 3/4 x 10 3/4 (sight) after a photograph. Oval trimmed 1/4" beyond the remaining paper. Clean, bright, strong portrait. No references found.
This portrait is based on the 1864 photograph by Anthony Berger done in Brady's studio. It is a large print and one of the most neat in the depiction of Lincoln's hair and clothing of all that we have examined. No hint of the backwoods rail-splitter is here. Rather the image is of a strong and serious man with a mature beard and more hair than any other. The print fits with the message of victory approaching for the North in the Civil War, and it would have been welcomed for those mourning after Lincoln's assassination.
Almost all oval portraits such as this would have been framed. Given the destructive materials used and climate in most homes, the fact that few of this printing are available is no surprise. $750
"Washington and Lincoln. The Father And The Saviour Of Our Country." New York: Currier & Ives, 1865. Lithograph. Medium folio; 15 x 11. Some old stains, but overall very good condition. C:6510.
Currier & Ives, "America's Printmakers," issued many prints on current political and social themes, and during the Civil War these included a large number with a pro-Union bent. This is one of the best examples of that genre, a print showing George Washington shaking the hand of Abraham Lincoln before the eternal flame of Liberty. This tied together the "Father of his Country" with the President trying to preserve that country, as a Union and as the support of liberty throughout the world. $750
Henry B. Major & Joseph Knapp. "Grand Reception of the Notabilities of the Nation, at the White House 1865." New York: Frank Leslie, 1865. 14 7/8 x 20 3/8. Lithography by Major & Knapp. Good margins, with some wear, tears and smudging. Otherwise, very good condition.
According to Holzer, Boritt and Neely (The Lincoln Image, p. 145), this print had a copyright date of April 8, 1865, just a week before the assignation of Lincoln, and thus would likely be the last print issued during Lincoln's lifetime. The print shows Lincoln, with Mrs. Lincoln by his side, at a "Grand Reception" in the White House. Lincoln is shown receiving General and Mrs. Grant in a room filled with most of the notable figures of the government and army. As Boritt, Neely and Holzer say, "The picture froze in time the Lincoln who might have emerged from his years of unrelieved melancholy "the catharsis denied him by John Wilkes Booth." (ibid., p.144f.)
This print was issued by Frank Leslie and it has a price of $3.00 printed on it. However, the print was actually intended as a free premium for subscribers to Frank Leslie's Chimney Corner, a "New Family Paper." This particular instance of the print was a broadside issued to advertise the paper and its premium. In the lower right, text is printed over the corner of the image explaining that "Every Person who pays Ten Cents each for numbers 1 and 2" of the paper will get the print for free. Leslie had a number of prints run off with this legend imprinted on them, and these would have been distributed throughout his outlets in order in increase the sale of the Chimney Corner. The cost of two, ten cent issues was not a bad deal for a $3.00 print. In order to keep his subscribers a bit longer, Leslie promised to issue a key to the print, to be published in volume 4 of the paper. This example of Leslie's broadside is a fine example of the nineteenth century print market and also an excellent image of one of the last events in Lincoln's presidency. $575
Albert Ruger. "Funeral Car used at the Obsequies of the late Pres. A. Lincoln at Columbus, O. April 29th. 1865." [Columbus: J.H. Studer, 1865.] 10 5/8 x 15 7/8. Lithograph by Ehrgott, Forbriger &Co. Original hand color. Some repaired tears and chips in top margin. Very good condition.
Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co. were an important lithographic publishing firm from Cincinnati who issued a wide variety of patriotic prints during the Civil War. (cf. above) They especially focused on prints of regional interest, where they had the advantages of access and knowledge of the local market over the bigger lithographic firms on the east coast. Much of their output was commissioned work by mid-western publishers and this is a nice example published by J.H. Studer of Columbus (publisher information on example of this print in Library of Congress).
After Lincoln's assassination, plans were made to send the body back by train to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois for burial. A route was planned that essentially retraced the route Lincoln took in 1861 as President-elect, though skipping Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and adding Chicago. The Lincoln Special, adorned on its cowcatcher with a portrait of Lincoln, carried approximately 300 mourners, leaving Washington on April 21, and arriving in Springfield on May 4th, having passed through Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Chicago. At each stop Lincoln was accorded great honors and mourned by thousands. In Columbus, where the train arrived on April 29, the coffin was pulled through the streets by a 17 foot long hearse to the State Capitol, where Lincoln lay in state throughout the day. This print, issued to satisfy the interest of a mourning public, shows the hearse approaching the Capitol building accompanied by a guard of honor. It is a fine example of regional American printmaking and a rare glimpse of a fascinating historical event in our history. $1,150
W.H. Pratt. "Proclamation of Emancipation." Davenport, Iowa: W.H. Pratt, 1865. Lithograph by A. Hageboeck. 11 3/8 x 9. Very good condition. Eberstadt 40. Holzer, Lincoln Seen and Heard, p.17.
In this artifact of Civil War America, fascination with Abraham Lincoln and the end of slavery coincide with the aesthetic tradition of fine penmanship and meticulous engraving. A popular format throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the calligraphy portrait is used here to unite the martyred president with his most famous document, the Emancipation Proclamation. Written either by W.H. Pratt or by E.C. Smith (examples crediting both exist), the calligraphic portrait is a masterful manipulation of letter form to achieve a well-known likeness and joins the plethora of images of Abraham Lincoln that came on the market after his assassination. Printed in Iowa, the state that sent the most soldiers to the front per capita in the Civil War, this print would have been a powerful visual reminder of one of the outcomes of a costly struggle. A popular image and a rare example of fine engraving from the a small printing center of the Midwest. $750
"Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States. Born Feby. 12th. 1809. Died April 15th. 1865." New York: Kimmel & Forster, ca. 1865. Lithograph. Ca. 14 x 10. Wide margins. Excellent condition.
A stately memorial print to the assassinated President, issued shortly after his death on April 15th, 1865. Lincoln is shown 3/4rs, standing in front of a American shield draped in mourning. The print is signed, but the signature (F. Facks?) is hard to read. A handsome example of the type of print which would have hung in many homes of grieving Americans. $750
"Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States. Born February 12, 1809. Died April 15, 1865." Stone lithograph. Bust portrait in oval with signature beneath reading, "A. Lincoln." 10 3/4 x 8 1/2 (image). Full margins.
A fine, strong image; probably printed within the year 1865. $825
"The Funeral of President Lincoln, New York, April 25th. 1865. Passing Union Square." New York: Currier & Ives, 1865. Small folio. 8 x 13. Uncolored. C:2206.
Currier & Ives had much success with issuing "rush" prints of important events of the nineteenth century, which provided one of the few sources of graphic depictions for the general public. This is a fine example of this sort of print, showing Lincoln's funeral procession through New York. $575
"Death of President Lincoln. At Washington, D.C. April 15th. 1865. The Nation's Martyr." Currier & Ives, 1865. Small folio. 8 1/2 x 12 7/8. C:1501.
Currier & Ives had much success with issuing "rush" prints of important events of the nineteenth century, which provided one of the few sources of graphic depictions for the general public. This is a fine example of this sort of print, showing Lincoln's funeral procession through New York. $350
"Abraham Lincoln. The Nations Martyr. Assassinated April 14th. 1865." New York: Currier & Ives, 1865. Small folio. Vignette, ca. 10 1/2 x 9. Uncolored. Paper time toned. In early frame. C:26.
Another example of a "rush" print of Lincoln after his assassination. $675
"The Death Bed of the Martyr President Abraham Lincoln. Washington, Saturday Morning April 15th. 1865, at 22 Minutes Past 7 O'Clock." New York: Currier & Ives, [1865]. Medium folio. Lithograph (black & white). Full margins. Repaired single tear into left margin. Fine impression. C: 1471.
The many contemporary prints depicting the death bed of Abraham Lincoln often showed as many prominent people as would fit into a room. The eighteen people depicted here could never have fit into the room across the street from Ford's Theatre. The room is decorated in fine style for the Nineteenth Century, National leaders depicted in the foreground are from left to right: Gen. Halleck, Gen. Montgomery Meigs, Sec. Stanton, Post Master Dennison, a clergyman, Mr. Colfax, Chas. Sumner, Robert Lincoln, Sec. McCullogh, Sec. Wells, and three surgeons. In the far background and past the doorway are Mrs. Lincoln, son Tad and Miss Harris. The clergyman seated at the bedside records the time of death with his pocket watch. The depiction of furniture in the room includes prints are "The Horse Fair" by Rosa Bonheur and a version of "The Blacksmith Shop" by a British artist. $900
"Abraham Lincoln. The Nations Martyr. Assassinated April 14th. 1865." New York: Currier & Ives, 1865. Small folio. Vignette, ca. 10 1/2 x 9. Uncolored. C:26. Denver.
An unframed example of this dramatic "rush" portrait print. $675
Kimmel & Forster. "Columbia's Noblest Sons." New York: Henry & William Voight, 1865. 14 1/8 x 20 1/8. Lithograph by Manson Lang. Very good condition. Holzer, et al., The Lincoln Image, fig. 95.
A handsome print linking Lincoln with the revered George Washington. Portraits of the first and sixteenth Presidents are placed in ovals on either side of the figure of Columbia, who holds a laurel wreath above the head of each. To the left of Washington are drawn scenes from the Revolution, and these are mirrored on Lincoln's left by scenes from the Civil War. Below the former is shown the Declaration of Independence, and below the latter the Emancipation Proclamation. As Holzer, Boritt and Neely say, "The meaning was unmistakable: the birth of freedom in America under Washington in 1776 and the "new birth of freedom" on January 1, 1863, were of equal importance." (The Lincoln Image, p. 197). By the time this print was issued, Lincoln was being placed by his supporters on a level with Washington, and this print is an excellent example of that trend. $475
Anton Hohenstein. "President Lincoln And Family Circle. Respectfully Dedicated To The People Of The United States." Philadelphia: John Smith, 1865. 18 5/8 x 24 3/4. Lithograph by A. Hohenstein. Some discoloration and repaired tears in margins (one extending just into lower neatline). One repaired crack (nearly invisible) at Lincoln's left leg. Lined on rice paper for stability. Overall, fine condition.
Lincoln's assassination inspired the publication of many prints about Lincoln, including portraits, scenes of the assassination, and images of earlier, happier times of Lincoln's life. A surprisingly large number of the latter prints showed Lincoln and his family in a domestic setting, giving the American public a glimpse of the private life of the martyred President, albeit one based more on the imagination of the artist than on reality. Modified from a painting by Francis Bicknell Carpenter (that J.C. Buttre made into an "official" print), this portrait of the Lincoln family was drawn by Anton Hohenstein and published by John Smith of Philadelphia shortly after the assassination. Lincoln's figure comes from the famous 1865 photograph of the President reading to Tad, here reversed and altered to show Tad holding the book, instead of his father, as in the photograph. Because Hohenstein wanted to show all three sons (including Willie who had died in 1862), Tad's place in the photograph was taken by Willie in the print, and a figure of Tad as a younger boy was added standing next to Mary. Dressed in a sized-down soldier's outfit, Tad mirrors his older brother Robert, who appears here in uniform. Overall, the image is an impossible construction by the artist, for there were only a very few times Robert was in Washington before Willie's death in 1862, and Robert didn't join the army until 1864. Of primary importance, though, was the symbolism of a Victorian ideal family for the martyred President, not verisimilitude, and this print well achieved its aim. The rendering of the surrounding furniture is very well done, and the figures are less crude than many of the other similar prints that were rushed to print after Lincoln was shot. This is a fascinating reflection of its time and a most interesting and attractive graphic image of Lincoln and his family. $575
"Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States. Born Feby. 12th. 1809. Died April 15th. 1865." New York: Kimmel & Forster, ca. 1865. Lithograph. 12 x 8 1/2 (sheet). Excellent condition.
A stately memorial print to the assassinated President, issued shortly after his death on April 15th, 1865. Lincoln is shown in a rectangular bust portrait. He is handsome, strong and wears an elegant vest. An example of the type of print based on Francis Carpenter's original that would have hung in many homes of grieving Americans. $550
William E. Marshall. "Abraham Lincoln." New York: Ticknor & Fields and Wm. E. Marshall, 1866. Steel engraving by W.E. Marshall. 20 5/8 x 15 7/8 (image) plus full margins. Excellent condition and impression.
A dignified, handsome formal bust length portrait of Lincoln, drawn, engraved and published by William E. Marshall (1836-1906). As soon as it was issued, this print was accepted as the finest portrait ever done of Lincoln, and in fact was claimed by a number of critics to be one of the finest engravings ever produced. Copies of this print were sent to many who knew Lincoln, and their reaction was uniformly enthusiastic. Amongst some who had high praise for the print were Robert Todd Lincoln, Gustave Dore, William Herndon, Edwin Stanton and Charles Sumner. Frederick Douglass even had the print on display in his home. As fine an example of American portraiture in print as one can find. OUT ON APPROVAL JC
"President Lincoln And His Cabinet. With General Grant in the Council Chamber of the Whitehouse." New York: Thomas Kelly, 1866. 18 7/8 x 27 3/4. Lithograph by Antoine (Anton) Hohenstein. Printed by Spohny, Philadelphia. Trimmed to neat line at sides, expertly remargined. Very good condition. Holzer, Boritt, & Neely, Changing The Lincoln Image, Fig. 2.
An interesting print of Lincoln, his Cabinet, and General Grant issued by popular print publisher Thomas Kelly. The basis of this lithograph is Francis B. Carpenter's image "The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation," first issued in 1866. Bavarian born Philadelphia artist Hohenstein has made some revisions, but this clearly is a copy. Stanton, Chase, Lincoln, Seward, and Bates are pictured in essentially the same places and poses as in Carpenter's original, as is the picture of Pennsylvanian Simon Cameron (Stanton's predecessor). The room is the same, though Hohenstein removed the portrait of Andrew Jackson and added two landscapes to the wall in the background, and made a few other changes to disguise the piracy. To the basic image taken from Carpenter, Hohenstein moved the image of Wells, replaced Blair with his successor Denison, and in a central position, added General U.S. Grant. Interestingly, he did not show Smith's successor at Interior, but rather both Bates and James Speed who succeeded him as Attorney-General. And, rather than showing a scene concerning the Emancipation Proclamation, this print is supposed to show Grant discussing his campaigns, for the General boldly points to a location on a map placed on the table.
As the war had ended, Kelly also published for sale in the South a Confederate edition of this image, with General Lee replacing Grant, Davis replacing Lincoln, and so forth! This is a wonderful image of Lincoln, as well as an instructive example of the practices of printmaking in the mid-nineteenth century. $850
Samuel B. Waugh. "Lincoln and his Family." Philadelphia: Bradley & Co., 1866. 17 1/2 x 24 3/4. Mezzotint with engraving by William Sartain. Printed by Irwin & Sartain. Very good impression. Very good condition. Holzer et al., The Lincoln Image, Fig. 80. Denver.
This is one of most famous prints of Lincoln, a family portrait based on a painting of Samuel B. Waugh and engraved by William Sartain. This print was copied by many other nineteenth century print publishers, but none equaled the quality of this rich engraving. Lincoln is shown with his two sons and wife surrounded by elegant furnishings of the White House. The family is grouped around a covered table, upon which lie two books, including the Bible. Lincoln and Tad sit to the left, and above Lincoln's right shoulder is a bust of George Washington, linking the martyred president with the 'father of the nation.' Outside the draped window is the outline of the Capitol dome, completed during Lincoln's terms. Mary Lincoln sits to the right, and Robert stands in the center between his parents. Over Robert's shoulder is a portrait of William Lincoln, who had died in 1862. Waugh makes use of clever symbolic lighting and artifacts, which was characteristic of portrait painting at this time. One symbol was described in a promotional circular, "On the table is a vase of flowers 'embracing the Roses of the North, and the Small Magnolia, Sweet Clematis, and Virginia Creeper, which bloom in profusion in the South,' all wreathed in harmony, emblematic of the friendly feeling that should exist between the people of the North and South, in the great vase of the UNION..."
Waugh's details are beautifully rendered by William Sartain, scion of the illustrious Philadelphia family of artists the patriarch of which was John Sartain. The concept and design of Waugh's painting was based on Edward Savage's famous image of George Washington and his family. It is interesting that John Sartain engraved a large mezzotint after the Washington family painting, so here William is following closely in his father's footsteps with his engraving of the Lincoln family. William was able to closely simulate the texture of the rich satins, soft woolens, and lustrous leather. At the time of its issue, this print was thought of as a first class example of print making, selling for as much as $20 for an artist's proof, and $7.25 for a regular print. As Holzer, et al. remark, "In its day, the Sartain engraving was considered the best print portrait of the Lincoln family." (The Lincoln Image, p. 171) This print was so popular that cartes-de-visite were published using photographs of the print, giving the illusion they were photographs of the actual family. $950
Ad. Biegemann. "Lincoln and His Family." Philadelphia: William Smith, ca. 1866. 18 x 24. Lithograph by D. Wiest. Original color. Tear at top extending ca. 3" into image, and tear at bottom just touching image. Otherwise, very good condition. Holzer, et al., The Lincoln Image, Fig 87.
A very primitive rendering using the same theme as the print above. The publisher wanted to take advantage of the demand for images of the President without investing in a first-hand rendering. Thus his artist based the image of Lincoln on a photograph of the President and Tad taken in 1865. The image was reversed for the print, but because Biegemann wanted to show all three of Lincoln's sons, including Willie who had died in 1862, the image of Tad from the photograph became Willie, and a figure of Tad as a younger boy was added. Robert is shown in uniform, even though he didn't join the army until after the death of his brother Willie, near whom Robert is standing. The heads and bodies of all the figures are out of scale with each other, and the setting is most awkward. That such a print could be produced and sold by a major publishing house is an interesting reflection on the print market of the time, and a strong indication of the demand for images of Lincoln. $450
Ad. Biegemann. "Lincoln and His Family." Philadelphia: William Smith, ca. 1866. 18 x 24. Lithograph by D. Wiest. Very good condition. Holzer, et al., The Lincoln Image, Fig 87. Another example of the print above, this one uncolored. $400
Eastman Johnson. "The Boyhood of Lincoln. (An Evening in the Log Hut.)" Boston: L. Prang, 1868. Chromolithograph. 21 x 16 3/4. In period frame. Mounted on board as issued and with original labels by Prang.
Eastman Johnson was hailed for his charming image of the "Barefoot Boy," inspired by on John Greenleaf Whittier's poem. This classic American image was made into a chromolithograph by Louis Prang of Boston. Louis Prang was the most successful American publisher of chromolithographs and he said that the print of the Barefoot Boy was his most successful print ever. This success spurred Prang to go back to Johnson for another of his excellent images, this print showing young Abraham Lincoln reading by the light of a fire in his log cabin home. This is one of Prang's larger and most expensive images, selling for $12 a copy (in contrast to the Barefoot Boy's $5). According to Prang's promotional text, "This great national picture, is full of artistic excellencies, apart from its associations. What better picture to have constantly before the eyes of the rising generation? It teaches that in America there is no social eminence impossible to the lowest youth, who by perseverance, study, and honesty of life and purpose, shall seek to reach the ranks of the rulers of the people." This print still evokes that American ideal, which in addition to the quality and attractiveness of this superb chromolithograph, makes this a most desirable American print. $2,100
T. Johnson. [Abraham Lincoln] Late 19th century engraving. 13 5/8 x 10. Very good condition.
A finely executed profile engraving of our sixteenth president by T. Johnson. $475
"Lincoln Family." Photograph: Carte de visite format. Ca. 5 x 3".
A photograph of a composite image using Brady photograph of Lincoln reading to Tad, superimposing image of Mrs. Lincoln seated next to her husband and Robert in military uniform standing behind his father's chair. Note: though Willie's death is acknowledged by his absence from the picture, Mrs. Lincoln is not shown in mourning dress. Cartes de visite, so named for their size (which resembled a small calling card), became popular in the 1850s and 1860s. Using a specially-designed camera, eight different poses could be printed on one sheet of photographic paper, then cut up and mounted on small, pocket-sized cardstock. The same photographic technology that allowed loved ones to exchange likenesses also afforded thousands of Americans the opportunity to own pocket-sized portraits of public figures, including most prominently Abraham Lincoln. $125
Click
here for a page with cartes de visite of Lincoln and his
contemporaries.
Six Satires depicting Abraham Lincoln. These are reproductions of satires that were drawn in 1864 by Henry Louis Stephens who moved from Philadelphia to New York in 1859. He was a brilliant satirist who even managed to lampoon the works of John James Audubon after working for that family. He drew political and social cartoons mainly for magazines such as Frank Leslie's and Harper's during the war. These images appeared in a British magazine.
The six reproductions were commissioned by Townsend and Fuller in 1930 and lithographed by the famous Hoen & Co. in Baltimore. This publisher incorrectly named the artist as "L. H. Stephens" instead of "H.L." An interesting selection that appeared in a city which retained its Southern sympathies into the Twentieth Century. Price for the six $85
Return to Presidential portraits page
For more information call, write, fax or e-mail to:
8441 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118 USA
(215) 242-4750 [Phone]
(215) 242-6977 [Fax]
PhilaPrint@PhilaPrintShop.com
©The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd. Last updated May 21, 2013
Place Order 
