^#1523 ^Lot 1580 Abraham Lincoln

Exceptional and incredibly rare original 2.25 x 4 carte-de-visite portrait, taken by Alexander Gardner on August 9, 1863, showing Lincoln seated at a table, with a paper in one hand and his glasses in the other hand, boldly signed in the lower border in black ink, as president, “A. Lincoln.” Double cloth matted and framed to an overall size of 10.5 x 12.5. In fine condition, with a bit of scattered trivial soiling to lower border.

Originally sold by Paul Richards in 1985, the CDV is accompanied by a copy of Richards’ catalog #196, in which he states in the description “This photograph was taken by Alexander Gardner…Several different poses were taken at this time. [See Hamilton and Ostendorf, Lincoln in Photographs, p. 132]…We think this the finest quality Lincoln signed photograph we have handled in our twenty-five years in this business.” Also accompanied by certificates of authenticity from University Archives and Profiles in History.

Historic in nature, this image shows the 16th president holding a copy of the Washington Daily Morning Chronicle, a pro-Lincoln news sheet, and was taken by Gardner at the photographer’s new Washington, D.C. studio. Gardner had parted company with fellow Civil War photographer Mathew Brady about a year earlier, and his session with Lincoln—which the president deemed ‘very successful’ after privately reviewing the poses at the White House—was a coup for the independent photographer in his first few months in business. Truly one of the finest signed Lincoln photos ever offered!