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"Abraham Lincoln, presidential candidate, half-length portrait, facing right." Circa 1881 albumen silver print from a glass negative by Alexander Hesler. View full size.
Photo of Lincoln made from a negative taken in Springfield, Illinois, by Alexander Hesler on June 3, 1860. "Wrote Lincoln's law partner, William H. Herndon, 'There is the peculiar curve of the lower lip, the lone mole on the right cheek, and a pose of the head so essentially Lincolnian; no other artist has ever caught it.' "
Ol' Honest Abe was a witty man.
It was common in those days for people seeking work with/for the President to just show up at the White House and walk right in, standing in a line outside his office to speak with him. Upon seeing that there were more office-seekers than jobs available, he remarked, "There are too many pigs for the tits."
Perhaps a bit coarse for so great a man, but no less funny.
And he did (reportedly) say this:
In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, when Douglas accused Lincoln of being two-faced, Lincoln replied, referencing his homeliness, “If I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?”
"There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes."
-- Abraham Lincoln
[Apocryphal. Abe never said that. - Dave]
If we did not know who this man was, this image would just be one of many. It's a well framed and lit photograph showing the man's various lines and creases. He appears well dressed for his day and posed in a flattering manner.
He does not have the look of a businessman or farmer. He shows neither pride nor pretension though he's clearly been down a road or two. In 1860, his work was not yet done. We know that now, but it would have been hard to guess from this single image how remarkable the man would become.
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