Abraham Lincoln

Art Historical Context

This lithographic print of *Abraham Lincoln*, produced around 1860 by the New York firm Ensign,man & Fanning ( 1854–1863), captures future president at a pivotal moment in American history. Just before Lincoln's election in 1860, such affordable prints democratized access to political imagery, flooding homes and businesses during the heated presidential campaign and the looming Civil War. Housed in the Smithsonian American Museum's National Portrait Gallery—thanks to a gift from Dr. Frank Stanton—this work exemplifies mid-19th-century commercial lithography, a technique that allowed for detail...