Skip to main content

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln
Artist
Mathew B. Brady, 1823? - 15 Jan 1896
Sitter
Abraham Lincoln, 12 Feb 1809 - 15 Apr 1865
Date
February 27, 1860
Type
Photograph
Medium
Salted paper print
Dimensions
Image: 8.6 × 5.4 cm (3 3/8 × 2 1/8")
Mount: 10.3 x 6.2 cm (4 1/16 x 2 7/16")
Topic
Printed Material\Book
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Table
Architecture\Column
Interior\Studio\Photography
Abraham Lincoln: Male
Abraham Lincoln: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Abraham Lincoln: Military and Intelligence\Soldier
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\President of US
Abraham Lincoln: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Environmentalist
Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Merchant
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Illinois
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Surveyor
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\State Senator\Illinois
Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Postmaster
Abraham Lincoln: Crafts and Trades\Boat builder
Portrait
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.96.179
Exhibition Label
This photograph played a significant role in shaping the public image of Republican hopeful Abraham Lincoln during the 1860 presidential campaign. Taken at Brady’s New York gallery on February 27—the day Lincoln delivered his famed Cooper Union address—the carefully crafted portrait revealed a candidate whose dignified bearing stood in sharp contrast to the unflattering characterizations circulated by his detractors.
Brady issued his Lincoln portrait in several sizes, including small, card-mounted photographs known as cartes de visite. Introduced to the American market from Europe in 1858, the carte de visite quickly became the nation’s most popular photographic format.
Esta fotografía tuvo un papel significativo en la creación de la imagen pública del candidato republicano Abraham Lincoln durante la campaña presidencial de 1860. Fue tomada en la galería de Brady en New York el 27 de febrero, día en que Lincoln pronunció su famoso discurso en la Cooper Union, y es una obra de cuidada factura que nos revela a un personaje cuyo porte distinguido y solemne contrasta drásticamente con las imágenes poco favorecedoras que difundían sus detractores.
Brady hizo copias del retrato en varios tamaños, incluso en el formato llamado “tarjeta de visita”, que eran fotos pequeñas montadas en cartón. Las fotos tipo tarjeta de visita llegaron desde Europa al mercado norteamericano en 1858 y pronto se convirtieron en el formato fotográfico más popular del país.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view