Lincoln's Dog Fido

[RJNorton]

IMO Eva is right. Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt wrote an in-depth article about Fido for the February 15, 1954, Life magazine. She doesn't give an exact date for the photo but hints it was on or close to January 30, 1861. About this time she says Willie and Tad realized they had no picture of Fido to take to Washington. The author writes, "So Fido had one last excursion with his young masters. They trooped over to F. W. Ingmire's studio on the west side of the square. Mr. Ingmire draped a piece of fancy material over a washstand and put Fido on top of it as if on a royal couch. Willie and Tad watched but did not get into the picture(s)."

I cannot recall where but I did once read a book that dated the photo 1865. However, Dorothy Kunhardt's account seems credible IMO. Additionally, Lance Ingmire, family historian and a great-great-nephew of F.W. Ingmire, has stated the photos of Fido were taken before the Lincolns departed for Washington.