Abraham Lincoln
[New York, NY], Early 20th century
Beardless Abraham Lincoln 1858 IL Senate Debates-Era Photo, Meserve Printed & Collected
Photograph

A photographic print of future 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), printed sometime in the early 20th century, from the personal collection of world-renowned Lincoln collector Frederick H. Meserve (1865-1962). The original photo of a smooth-shaven Lincoln is believed to have been taken on September 26, 1858, in the middle of Lincoln and Douglas' important debates about slavery held that summer and autumn. Numbered in pencil by Meserve verso with the number "9," which corresponds with the numbering system he first developed for his privately published volume, "The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln" (1911). Expected gentle surface wear including the slightest adhesive residue verso, else near fine. 2.125" x 3.25."

Meserve described the sourcing of this Lincoln portrait, as with others like it in this particular collection, with the following statement: "the photographic portraits [have been] printed from the original negatives or from negatives made from the original negatives." Thus these photos can be considered as Type II or Type IV photographs. Meserve described this Lincoln portrait as "a photograph of the daguerreotype believed to have been made by C.S. German in Springfield in 1860. The late Major William H. Lambert of Philadelphia who owned the daguerreotype, and Mr. Truman H. Bartlett of Boston, the sculptor, who received a copy of it from Mr. R.N. Chapman, the son of Harriet Chapman of Charleston, Ill., who was the granddaughter of Lincoln's stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, both stated it was made in 1858." Sarah Bush Lincoln's great grandson R.N. Chapman recalled that Lincoln had stated that this photograph was expressly taken for the benefit of Harriet Chapman, who called Lincoln "Uncle Abe."

The seven Lincoln-Douglas debates took place between August 21 - October 15, 1858, in seven different Illinois towns and cities. This photograph would have been taken between the fourth debate at Charleston (September 18th) and the fifth debate at Galesburg (October 7th). Although Lincoln lost the Illinois Senate seat to Douglas, the highly publicized debates helped establish Lincoln's national prominence.

Lincoln sat for over fifty official portraits from his lawyering days on the court circuit until his assassination. Lincoln had several distinctive physical characteristics: a gaunt face, a skinny neck, a large mole on his right cheek, and a slightly drooping left eyelid--all of these can be seen in this portrait. Though not handsome, Lincoln possessed a plain-spun homeliness that endeared him to voters. The future president's awkward physical appearance went a long way in fostering his log cabin-born rail-splitter mystique.

Frederick H. Meserve was a preeminent collector of Lincoln and Civil War era photography, ephemera, maps, and books. He began collecting Lincolniana in 1897, with the intention of illustrating his father's Civil War diary. In the early 1900s, Meserve acquired 10,000 original Brady negatives including seven Lincoln portraits. Meserve continued collecting Lincoln likenesses, as well as photos of Lincoln's contemporaries, over the next sixty years. He eventually amassed a collection of 200,000 pieces including some previously "lost" or unknown images of Lincoln. Meserve's collection was so esteemed for its completeness that he essentially became the custodian of "Lincoln's image." Meserve was approached by medal and currency engravers, as well as by the sculptors of Lincoln's Memorial Monument, for direct access to his presidential photographs. In 2015, the Meserve-Kunhardt Collection was acquired by the Yale Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (New Haven, Connecticut.)

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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2.125" x 3.25"