Lincoln Discussion Symposium

Great article, Rob--thanks for posting it!

Name all four people in this picture.

Frederick, William, Jr., Frances & Augustus Seward.

Yes, Linda. Somehow I thought you might be the one to get this question!!

Source: p. 8 of a booklet I received from the Seward House in March, 2001.

Roger, does the photo have a date on it? I would guess it was taken about 1850. Is there another photo in the booklet of Fanny, Will and their dad that was taken at the same time?

Linda, it does say c.1850 for the photo. The booklet does have your avatar, but it does not have the other photo you asked about.

This is a photo of Will, Seward and Fanny which was probably taken at the same time as the photo of Mrs. Seward and her three sons. I found it on the Seward House website. http://sewardhouse.org/gallery/

What is wrong with this image?

Wrong Lincoln picture of head on body. Is that even Lincoln's body? Anyway, wrong head for picture! Must be the work of Zombies!

You get part credit, Bill. Very good.

However, for full credit, whose body is it?

Dare I say Seward, since we've been discussing the Seward statue with Lincoln's body?

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Linda,

I find it strange that Fanny Seward is in such a simple play dress in the photo of her at her father's knee. Even her hair is plain and simple for a formal photo.

I realize that the Sewards were probably photographed more than the average person of their day, but it was generally a more important event and one dressed better for the occasion. Fanny almost gives the impression of being a street urchin here (and I mean no disrespect).

It is not Seward's body. However, it is the body of a well-known 19th century person.

Henry Clay?

Good guess, but not it. Both Henry Clay and the right answer died in the early 1850's. And it isn't Daniel Webster.

If it is not the body of Webster or Clay, my next guess would be Calhoun.