Lot 152

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Lincoln Abraham




Abraham & Tad Lincoln Carte de Visite after Berger

 

Carte de visite depicting 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) and his youngest son Thomas "Tad" Lincoln III (1853-1871), ca. 1864. The sepia toned oval albumen print is mounted on a cream stock card embossed with patriotic motifs. Pencil inscribed verso. Unevenly toned, else in very good to near fine condition. Overall 2" x 3.25". From the collection of Harold Holzer, the noted Lincoln historian.

 

Unlike other photographs that represented Abraham Lincoln as a political leader, this one emphasized both his humanity and paternity. Here, the bespectacled Lincoln is shown with an open Bible on his lap, while rambunctious son Tad stands uncharacteristically attentively at his left. Taken by Mathew Brady's colleague Anthony Berger, the candid family portrait was unauthorized by Brady. Berger later copyrighted the image and reproduced it from his private Brooklyn, New York studio, where it was widely circulated following Lincoln's assassination.

 

This was one of seven photographs taken by Berger on February 9, 1864. Berger's afternoon session was extremely successful, despite difficulties with lighting and unexpected delays caused by Tad's pranks. Berger's session resulted in no less than four iconic and unusual Lincoln portraits: his "penny" profile (Ostendorf 88); the inspiration for the $5 bill portrait (Ostendorf 91); him standing (Ostendorf 94); and father and son (Ostendorf 93).

 

A German émigré, Anthony Berger (born 1832, active 1860s) started working for Mathew Brady's photographic studio around 1855. His duties included converting photographic images into oil paintings and overseeing photography sessions. By the 1860s, he had become the manager of Brady's National Portrait Gallery.

 

Mathew Brady (1822-1896) dominated antebellum and Civil War-era American photography. An established photographer, Brady became even more well-known for his celebrity photographs and his gruesome battlefield photographs.

 

Provenance: From the collection of preeminent Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer (born 1949). A historian specializing in Lincoln and the Civil War era, Holzer has authored, co-authored, and edited 52 books; his Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion won the 2015 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize. Holzer has done much to popularize Lincoln studies by frequently appearing on radio and television. Much of Holzer's work explores Lincoln's speeches, debates, and public image.

 



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