Lincoln's Dog Fido

[DanielC]

A "TAIL" OF THREE PICTURES:

My intial research of Fido involves the three known pictures taken of him. I'm a bit of a "dummy" so this thread would work much better if I knew how to upload the three photo's, so you could compare. If you"google" Lincoln's dog Fido, most links will have the three aforementioned pictures. My intial reserach was to determine date and time of the photos, but while doing so I truly could see that "A picture is worth a thousand words". Although unable to determine date and time, I was able to establish chronological order.

Picture #1- Resigned

If you look at the first picture, this is the photo in which Fido is sitting up, looking slightly to the left of the camera. I determined that this was the first picture taken. Abe and his boys probably have walked Fido to the studio to take a few photos for momentos of their four legged freind before they leave him behind for their journey to Washington. It is a somber walk to the studio, but Fido is probably wagging his tail the whole way, because he is with the ones he loved the most. In Picture #1 labled "Resigned", Fido has a relaxed posture and is sitting slightly up. Notice the paws and ears both relaxed, tail fluffly and lying to the side. There is a weariness and sadness in Fido's eyes, as he looks probably at his walking buddy (Lincoln) and his two playmates Tad and Willie standing slightly to the left of the photographer. All seems calm....

Picture #2- Who's here?

If you look at picture number #2 which I have entitled "Who's Here?", it is the first picture of Fido in his lying posture. Notice something, or someone has entered the room and has caught Fido's attention. His head is raised in curiosity, and he is looking slightly to the left. This is when I surmise that Mrs. Lincoln has just entered the room, and the fireworks were going to begin. Maybe it was old Abe taking the boys and leaving her behind, having the photo's taken in the first place, you name it, any of the thousands of reasons that husband's end up in the "Dog House", but Mrs. Linclon has arrived "and hell has no fury than a woman scorned" know what I mean?

Picture #3 "Duck and Cover"

The last photograph taken I believe is the one I call "Duck and Cover". It is the one where Fido is looking straight ahead (notice his head is slightly blurry) he's recognized who has just entered, and as all dogs do, they avert their eyes to staring at a subject as it is seen as a sign of agression. Notice the body expression of Fido. He looks like a torpedo ready to be shot. Paws gripping the table, back legs in launching postion, head down, tail straight. Fido can not get out of here fast enough. Old Abe is getting earful at this point. I call this "Duck and Cover" as I had alluded to in the earlier post, because this was probably the position Fido probably assumed at home quite often when he hid under the sofa when the "fireworks" broke out.

Although I do not have factual evidence to support any of these series of events "A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words".