The Last Photograph of Abraham Lincoln?

In Lincoln's time, photography was a new science and so popular that in 1860, there were an estimated 3,000 photographers in the United States. Abraham Lincoln did not consider himself handsome, but he was not camera-shy. He had his photograph taken around 130 times, reputedly making him the most photographed American of the 19th century.

The following photograph had long been considered the last picture of the 16th president. It was not.

This photo was taken by Alexander Gardner on February 5, 1865, before Lincoln's inauguration on March 4th and assassination on April 14th. It was mistakenly tagged as having been taken on April 10, 1865, but Matthew Wilson accompanied Lincoln to the Gardner shoot, and his diary says it was taken on February 5. Historian Harold Holzer has verified the February 5th date.

So, what is the last photograph? John Hay and John Nicolay, in their Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, wrote that the last photographs were taken a month later, on March 6, 1865, by Henry F. Warren of Waltham, Massachusetts. Here is that photograph.

In truth, I prefer the "Smiling Lincoln" to "Resolute Lincoln," but both characteristics typified his final months.

(The information in this post comes from the Abraham Lincoln Research Site.)

Honest westerns. Full of dishonest characters.

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