Gettysburg Address 150 years later

[CHeberton]

(05-20-2014 12:06 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Hi Craig and welcome to the forum. You have a fascinating website! I do have a question. On March 10, 2009, a collector announced the discovery of another "last" photo in life that arguably shows Lincoln in front of the White House. The photo bears the seal of Henry F. Warren. Have you examined this photo, and do you have an opinion? (I have not gone through your entire website, and if you have answered this question there then please excuse me.)

Roger - Thanks for your compliments about my blog. I have read about that photo but I've neither researched its background nor studied the image carefully (a much higher res scan available to researchers would be most helpful). According to the article to which you linked, Keya Morgan, the current owner, believes it to be Lincoln. Perhaps he also believes Tad is visible with his father. Mr. Morgan is one of the foremost collectors of Lincoln and other historical celebrity memorabilia in the country. His main interest is in collecting and then ultimately selling (at least most of the time). The image of the purported Lincoln is very difficult to analyze at a glance. The fact that it was found in a photo album which purportedly belonged to U.S. Grant (and was passed down to a great-great grandson) is very interesting provenance. The fact that it is back stamped by Warren -- whom we know to have photographed Lincoln at the White House -- with a revenue stamp also is quite interesting. Combine all of that with someone's handwritten inscription on the back of the photo -- "Lincoln in front of the White House" -- and the evidence really starts to mount. Nevertheless, I would love to know what other photos are/were in that Grant photo album and whether any of them have handwritten notes (in a similar hand?). I also would want to compare samples of Mr. & Mrs. Grant's handwriting with the inscription on the back of this photo. Mr. Morgan (elsewhere) asserts that the inscription is in the hand of Jesse Grant, U.S. Grant's son. If true, that also adds great weight to his position (but I'd still want to research if there is evidence illuminating how Jesse would have gleaned that info from someone in-the-know). What I really like about this puzzle is that --especially for those of us who cannot view super hi-res scans of the photo -- we are forced to research the context surrounding the photo (chain of ownership, handwriting on the backside, contemporaneous accounts of Warren's visit to the White House, etc.) in order to reach a measured opinion.

I do find it amusing that the blogger, Geoff Elliott, linked his neat story about this photo to John Richter's discovery of the image he believes constitutes Lincoln in 2 of the 3 Alexander Gardner stereo views taken at the November 19, 1863 Gettysburg dedication ceremony. I have my own take on where Lincoln is located in those views (expounded upon in my blog) and have discussed my conclusions at length with Mr. Richter, whom I greatly respect and admire. If I'm shown to be wrong, John's candidate may well be right. My blog addresses the reasons why a professor much ballyhooed in the Smithsonian Magazine last year missed the mark by claiming to "absolutely have discovered" Lincoln in a 3rd location seated in a place where Lincoln never was seated. His Lincoln candidate garners zero attention from any of the crowds surrounding him in the two views in which he is visible. All of the contextual evidence points to his "Lincoln" as someone other than the Great Emancipator. It is sad that the Smithsonian piece tried to elevate the 3rd Lincoln candidate's stature by demonizing John Richter's analysis. If others are interested, see: http://abrahamlincolnatgettysburg.wordpress.com/