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Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865
Abraham Lincoln's presidency was singularly historic, and his knack for telling humorous stories was legendary. When asked how he liked being president, Lincoln replied: "You have heard the story, haven't you, about the man who was tarred and feathered and carried out of town on a rail? A man in the crowd asked him how he liked it. His reply was that if it was not for the honor of the thing, he would much rather walk."
Shortly after his arrival in Washington in late February 1861, Lincoln paid his first visit to Mathew Brady's Pennsylvania Avenue photography studio. It was there that he posed for this portrait by the studio manager and cameraman, Alexander Gardner. An engraving derived from this likeness was soon published in the April 27, 1861, issue of Harper's Weekly, providing the public with the first bearded image of the new president.
Alexander Gardner, reproduced from 1861 print |