Nancy Hanks' lineage

[RJNorton]

I can go either way on this "apparent" image of Thomas Lincoln. Robert Lincoln was not always correct on his memories regarding photos. Regarding the earliest known photos of his parents his reminiscence was that they were made in 1847-1849 in Washington (or possibly St. Louis). One reason he expressed doubt that these early images were made in Springfield was that Springfield was a small town at the time, and he doubted any daguerreians were located there in the mid-1840s. Robert was incorrect, however. Lloyd Ostendorf found there were several already operating in Springfield in 1846. Most Lincoln books say these two daguerreotypes were made 1846-1847 in Springfield.

Here is some more information from the Michael Lynch article regarding the alleged image of Thomas Lincoln:

During the Civil War a relative of Thomas Lincoln approached O.V. Flora, a soldier from Ohio who was stationed in Illinois, with an offer to sell him a photo of Thomas Lincoln. The relative told Flora the photo was genuine and he needed the money badly and was willing to sell it. Under the photo was written "Thomas Lincoln. Born 1778 Died 1851." The exact date and nature of the transaction is unknown. R. Gerald McMurtry researched Flora and found that Flora was indeed assigned (for a short time) to service in Charleston, Illinois, only a few miles from Thomas Lincoln's home.

The photo then ended up in the hands of Flora's daughter, Mrs. E.J. Shafer of Franklin, Indiana. In 1932 she loaned the photo out for display in Ft. Wayne. In 1933 McMurtry got her permission to publish the photo in Kentucky Progress magazine.

Although scholars disagree on the photo's authenticity, Charles Hamilton and Lloyd Ostendorf wrote, "Many scholars doubt its authenticity, but the rugged, angular features of the subject, so dramatically Lincolnesque, match contemporary descriptions of Thomas Lincoln." McMurtry speculated that the family member who sold the photo to Flora was probably "a member of the Johnston family, a descendant of Sarah Bush, the second wife of Thomas Lincoln."

In writing about the image Michael Lynch notes, "To argue that someone defrauded O.V. Flora requires a forger who successfully pulled some difficult and improbable stunts: locating a suitable picture to match Thomas Lincoln's appearance, discovering the correct dates, and passing himself off as a Lincoln relative in a community near where the family lived."