Who is this person?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Another very smart guess, Roger, but not correct either.

Hint #2: The depicted gentleman became popular in a more shallow field of literature than OWH.

[Houmes]

Kudos, Pamela! Toulouse Lautrec's 1891 picture "Docteur Péan en train d'opérer" is mentioned in " The Last Lincolns" as he was the first to operate on Jack's carbuncle. Kudos also to Laurie for identifying HTL!

Pamela, you win tickets for the first cabaret, "Le Chat Noir", whose famous ad was a Lautrec artwork, too:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Chat_Noir

Are you sure this broadside was done by Lautrec? It's usually attributed to one of his contemporaies, Theophile Steinlen. Unfortunately, I can't get the accent mark to function over the first "e".

[Eva Elisabeth]

Shame on me and thanks for correction, Dr. Houmes - this was indeed done by Théophile Steinlen (and the link I posted even reveals this...)

[Lautrec however made several paintings of Can Can dancer Jane Avril, also at this établissement:
   
...and he painted "Le Chat Noir patrons":
    ]

---

Hint #3: Think EP.

[RJNorton]

Hint #2: The depicted gentleman became popular in a more shallow field of literature than OWH.

Hint #3: Think EP.

Is it Artemus Ward?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Brilliant, Roger, this is correct. He and Orpheus C. Kerr (both noms de plume) were said having been Abraham Lincoln's favorite humorists.

At the meeting of Lincoln's first reading of the EP to his cabinet, Lincoln insisted in first reading a passage by Ward to the "appointed audience" - not all of which could share (t)his sense of humor. Edwin Stanton said that Abraham Lincoln "was reading a book of some kind, which seemed to amuse him. It was a little book. He finally turned to us and said: 'Gentlemen, did you ever read anything from Artemus Ward? Let me read you a chapter that is very funny.' Not a member of the Cabinet smiled; as for myself, I was angry, and looked to see what the President meant. It seemed to me like buffoonery. He, however, concluded to read us a chapter from Artemus Ward, which he did with great deliberation, and, having finished, laughed heartily, without a member of the Cabinet joining in the laughter. 'Well,' he said, 'let's have another chapter,' and he read another chapter, to our great astonishment. I was considering whether I should rise and leave the meeting abruptly, when he threw his book down, heaved a sigh, and said: 'Gentlemen, why don't you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die, and you need this medicine as much as I do.'"

The passage Abraham Lincoln allegedly read is here:
http://www.everythinglincoln.com/article...-Ward.html

(I first was going to post this example to the request on another thread as for Lincoln's "earthy humor".)

Roger, you win my best wishes for lots of fun (and sun) on Sunday!

[RJNorton]

Roger, you win my best wishes for lots of fun (and sun) on Sunday!

Thanks, Eva. I will if the Green Bay Packers lose. I was born and raised in Chicago, and one of the first things my dad taught me was to intensely dislike the Packers (big rivals for the Chicago Bears). The Packers play Washington on Sunday, and it will make my day if Washington wins.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I'll add this specification to your prize!

The Stanton account or at least the "Gentlemen, why don't you laugh?" - quote supposedly is in the Fehrenbachers' book - I'd love to know how they rate it. Would you mind to check? Thanks!

[RJNorton]

They give it a "D." (A quotation about whose authenticity there is more than average doubt.)

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks, Roger, well, I saw that coming...(couldn't find a source reliable to me, just a Ward bio).

[Anita]

Who is this lady?

   

[RJNorton]

Wild guess - a young Varina Davis?

[Eva Elisabeth]

I have no clue, but it's a nice picture and lady. Any politicians daughter? Another wild guess - Julia Taft in "later" (than childhood) life?

[Susan Higginbotham]

Martha Washington (a modern painting). I'm reading a biography of her and George by Flora Fraser.

[L Verge]

I have no clue, but Susan's guess would fit nicely with my observation that the style of dress is definitely of a colonial era - not mid-19th century. Whoever she is, she's lovely.

[Thomas Kearney]

I've seen that portrait before. I think it's Dolly Madison?