Relics

[Dennis Urban]

The Ulke brothers, Henry and Julius, who were boarding at the Petersen House actually took two deathbed images. When viewing the two images, the chair at the head of the bed is moved somewhat; enough to easily see the differences in the photos. The bloody pillow may also have been moved a slight bit. Look for the bedpost above the pillow in each image. The angle is also slightly different. One can google "Ulke Lincoln deathbed photos" and they will come up side by side. The comparison is interesting. While Julius is generally credited with taking the images, it was Henry who continued in the well into 1866 and perhaps beyond. He maintained a studio at 278 Pennsylvania Avenue. The backmark only contains Henry's full name and not that of Julius. I do not know their history but I suspect Julius may have been out of the business by that time.