The 1998 Spittoon Debate in the Lincoln home.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Wouldn't spittoons be placed on the floor? Unless I'm missing something (which is quite possible), the "spittoons" appear to be on the mantle.

I do think that given the prevalence of tobacco use, when the Lincolns had large mixed gatherings, spittoons would have been set out for the convenience of guests, just as in later decades nonsmoking hosts would set out ashtrays for their cigarette-smoking guests.