Last known picture of Abraham Lincoln

[loetar44]

(10-05-2014 10:35 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  I have seen more than one date/description for the "Tad on horseback" photo, Kees. According to the Lincoln Family Album Tad gave the photo to Robert Lincoln several years later and wrote on the back: "Presented to Robert T. Lincoln by his affectionate brother-Thomas Lincoln. A carte-de-viste of himself and new South American pony, as taken, Nov 16th 1863. Washington, D.C.'

http://www.lincolncollection.org/collect...item=22908

Yet the same photo is on p. 77 of Twenty Days with the inscription, "Sitting on the captured beautiful little pacer, Little Jeff, Tad is shown here at City Point visiting Grant's army with his father just before the surrender."

To me the photo looks like the background is the troop encampment/south wall of the White House grounds.

Kees, if you go to the White House History link that Laurie posted there are a few photos of the south portico.

Roger, I know the South Portico was constructed in 1824 and the Truman balcony in 1948. I wonder if there was a balcony at the South Front in 1865 and IMO the answer to that is “no”.

However on page 213 of “Lincoln in Photographs”, Hamilton/Ostendorf write: “H. F. Warren of Waltham, Massachusetts, wanted desperately to take a picture of Lincoln. He was not acquainted with the President and had no connections in Washington. But he had a plan. Warren found out that Tad went riding on his pony every afternoon about three. He "ambushed and shot" young Lincoln astride his pony and on the following afternoon delivered the prints to Tad. The boy was delighted with them."Now," said Warren, "bring out your father and I will make a picture of him for you." Tad dashed off, and in a few minutes appeared on the south balcony of the White House with the President.

And on page 214: “Tad brought his father out on the balcony for the special sitting, the President carried his own chair.

Ostendorf clearly speaks of a balcony. Maybe he ment the first floor (yellow arrow in picture below), but that is not a balcony.

   

The article Laurie sent says: “On March 6, 1865, the busy president agreed to pose on the South Portico, and three images were taken.” I want to find out why Ostendorf is speaking of the “south balcony” instead of the “South Portico”.

I agree with Laurie and suspect that Ostendorf was not familiar with architectonial terms and details.

---

(10-05-2014 12:19 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Kees, the only explanation that I can make about the use of the word "balcony" is that the south facade has a raised entrance porch with ground level doors leading underneath. Perhaps whoever wrote the descriptions using "balcony" was not good at architecture?

The north facade is what you see the most of today and was definitely built as a porte de cochere (hope I spelled that right) for carriages pulling up in the old days - and limousines in modern times. The north is also the one photographed the most today. I believe that Marine One takes off from the south lawn, and it is also the south facade that faces the Ellipse (and the holiday displays).

Thanks for your explanation Laurie. I visited Washington, D.C. three times, the last time in 2000. I was in the White House as a tourist and saw President Clinton take off in Marine One from the south lawn indeed. I once met Clinton personally in Amsterdam on Oktober 3, 2007 at a book signing (his book "Giving) and spoke a couple of minutes with him. Quite an experience!

http://www.amazon.com/Giving-How-Each-Ch...0307266745