Photography was an important part of Abraham Lincoln’s campaign and presidency. Lincoln was born in 1809 and elected president in 1860. This was the era when photography was invented and became a mass communications tool. Lincoln is known as the first U.S. presidential candidate to use photography as a campaign tool and was arguably the most photographed man of his day. President Obama has frequently cited Lincoln as his inspiration and most revered President.
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, the Library of Congress has assembled an impressive collection of rare Lincoln photographs. The collection spans over 20 years from the first known photo in 1846, through the U.S. presidential campaign of 1860, the Civil War years, to the Lincoln funeral in 1865.
This photo shows Lincoln’s political campaign button for the 1864 presidential election. It contains a head-and-shoulders portrait of Abraham Lincoln on one side (photo by Matthew B. Brady on Jan. 8, 1864) and a bust portrait of VP candidate Andrew Johnson on the other side. The photo is mounted in a metal casing with six stars above an ornamental American Flag shield and boughs that give an hourglass shape to the Lincoln portrait.
Abraham Lincoln Photo Collection
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