On the day of his now famous speech at the Cooper Union in New York City on February 27, 1860, Abraham Lincoln visited the studio of photographer Mathew Brady. Well-respected in the field, Brady was tasked with making Lincoln, whose appearance was under constant scrutiny by his opponents, look presidential. Brady achieved his objective by emphasizing Lincoln’s height and using props such as a pillar, a symbol of strength, and books, the holders of knowledge. The photograph was widely circulated during the 1860 presidential campaign and was believed to have influenced many to vote for the lawyer from Illinois, leading Lincoln to proclaim, “Brady and the Cooper Union Institute made me president.”
Ensign, Bridgman, & Fanning
Abraham Lincoln, Sixteenth President of the United States, 1860 circa
Engraving
L140.33 (o)
John C. Buttre American, 1821–1893
A. Lincoln President of the United States, 1860s
Engraving, Reproduction from an original print
L140.007
When Lincoln arrived in Washrington, DC in early 1861, many were surprised by the appearance of a full beard. Perhaps in haste, Buttre simply chose to add a beard to an earlier photo, rather than finding a new one.
Currier & Ives
[Portrait of Abraham Lincoln], 1860
Lithograph
L120.78 (o) Gift of Ronald Rietveld
Winslow Homer American, 1836–1910
Harper’s Weekly, November 10, 1860
Engraving
Gift of Gordon McClelland
Winslow Homer found later fame as a major American artist, but worked as a commercial illustrator early in his career. In this cover, Homer reversed the direction of the original photograph.
