Description:

Abraham Lincoln
n.p., n.d. but ca. 1880
Huge Abraham Lincoln Hesler Photo, Ca. 1880 - As If He Were In The Room!
Photograph

The iconic photograph of a beardless Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), future 16th U.S. President, originally taken on June 3, 1860 by Chicago photographer Alexander Hesler (1823-1895). Ca. 1880, and probably associated with Philadelphia photographer George B. Ayres, who acquired Hesler's original glass negatives in 1867 and started selling discretely retouched images after 1881 and until his death in 1905. N.p. The black and white matte-finished photo is adhered to a chipboard mount. Expected wear to the photo surface including a few scattered minor scuffs, dents, and dings mostly affecting the blank background in the upper right corner. Slight loss to the lower left corner. Storage instructions in pencil on the chipboard mount verso, along with glue and tape residue. Else very good to near fine. The Lincoln portrait is photographed next to a mini Coke can (4.25" high) to better illustrate its considerable size of 13.25" x 16.875"!

University Archives sold a slightly smaller Hesler Lincoln portrait, measuring 12.25" x 15.25," in our February 21, 2024 auction, when it exchanged hands for $4,375 including the buyer's premium.

Alexander Hesler had photographed four views of Abraham Lincoln in a single sitting on June 3, 1860 in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln had recently been nominated as presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention held in Chicago two weeks earlier, on May 18, 1860. Of the 36 extant photographs of Lincoln taken before assuming the presidency, ca. 1846/1847- February 1861, Hesler's portraits are some of the best known. They were praised by Lincoln himself, who is quoted as saying, "Well, that looks right, and expresses me better than any I have seen." Hesler's portraits were prized not only for accurately documenting Lincoln's dominant physical features, but also for capturing the spirit, or essence, of the aspiring politician. William Herndon, Lincoln's close friend and law partner, also approved of Hesler's four portraits, judging them to be authentic likenesses of Lincoln.

Lincoln sat for over fifty official portraits from his lawyering days on the court circuit until his assassination. Lincoln had several distinctive physical characteristics: a gaunt face, a skinny neck, a large mole on his right cheek, and a slightly drooping left eyelid. Though not handsome, Lincoln possessed a plain-spun homeliness that endeared him to voters. The future president's awkward physical appearance went a long way in fostering his log cabin-born rail-splitter mystique.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 13.25" x 16.875"
  • Medium: Photograph

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 7, 2026 10:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000