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Lot 31
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President-elect Abraham Lincoln Photo at Philadelphia Flag-Raising, Meserve Printed & Collected
President-elect Abraham Lincoln Photo at Philadelphia Flag-Raising, Meserve Printed & Collected
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Description:

President-elect Abraham Lincoln Photo at Philadelphia Flag-Raising, Meserve Printed & Collected

A photographic print of future 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), printed sometime in the early 20th century, from the personal collection of world-renowned Lincoln collector Frederick H. Meserve (1865-1962). The original photo showing Lincoln addressing a crowd at a flag-raising ceremony at Philadelphia's Independence Hall on February 22, 1861 is believed to be the first one ever depicting a President-elect speaking. Numbered in pencil by Meserve verso with the number "37," which corresponds with the numbering system he first developed for his privately published volume, "The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln" (1911). Expected gentle surface wear including the slightest adhesive residue verso, else near fine. 2.125" x 3.25."

Meserve described the sourcing of this Lincoln portrait, as with others like it in this particular collection, with the following statement: "The photographic portraits [have been] printed from the original negatives or from negatives made from the original negatives." Thus these photos can be considered as Type II or Type IV photographs. Meserve described this Lincoln portrait as "a detail of a large photograph by F.D. Richards, made in Philadelphia, Pa. on February 22, 1861 at a Flag Raising at Independence Hall where Lincoln made a brief address at sunrise, leaving before the exercises were over. Mr. Lincoln is standing directly over the third star from the left in the flag draped over the platform railing. Believed to be the first photograph of a President-elect speaking."

Abraham Lincoln had defeated three other candidates at the presidential election held on November 6, 1860. Fourteen weeks later, on February 22, 1861, President-elect Lincoln attended a ceremonial flag-raising at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The event celebrated the latest admission of Kansas to the Union on January 29, 1861 by hoisting up a new American flag with 34 stars. Lincoln gave a brief address to members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and other bystanders from an elevated platform, stating in part, "…when that flag was originally raised here it had but thirteen stars. I wish to call your attention to the fact, that, under the blessing of God, each additional star added to that flag has given additional prosperity and happiness to this country until…we shall number as was anticipated by the great historian, five hundred millions of happy and prosperous people." Lincoln's address emphasized our shared national history, and imagined a long, prosperous, and united future. In this way, he purposefully dispelled fears of oncoming conflict.

Frederick H. Meserve was a preeminent collector of Lincoln and Civil War era photography, ephemera, maps, and books. He began collecting Lincolniana in 1897, with the intention of illustrating his father's Civil War diary. In the early 1900s, Meserve acquired 10,000 original Brady negatives including seven Lincoln portraits. Meserve continued collecting Lincoln likenesses, as well as photos of Lincoln's contemporaries, over the next sixty years. He eventually amassed a collection of 200,000 pieces including some previously "lost" or unknown images of Lincoln. Meserve's collection was so esteemed for its completeness that he essentially became the custodian of "Lincoln's image." Meserve was approached by medal and currency engravers, as well as by the sculptors of Lincoln's Memorial Monument, for direct access to his presidential photographs. In 2015, the Meserve-Kunhardt Collection was acquired by the Yale Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (New Haven, Connecticut.)

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.

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Bid Increments
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$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