Possible Lincoln artifact discovered!

[Eva Elisabeth]

I skimmed the Turner's book and the letters I spotted she signed "Mrs. A. Lincoln" were "business" or official letters, like to dealers concerning expensive purchases (WH china), recommendations for offices/positions, or the letter to the wounded soldier's mother etc. where a certain emphasis of status might have been beneficial as given the impression of her acting on behalf of her husband, too. Not sure - were women in her days already allowed to sign contracts (which a bill to some extent is)? She was also proud of being Mrs. A. Lincoln and in "formal"/"official " affairs/with strangers she might have wanted to demonstrate "status". AFAIK this was common practice here, too. In Austria even until the second half of the last (!) century a woman married to a professor was to be called "Mrs. Professor " although she didn't hold the title.