Abraham Lincoln, Candidate for U.S. President

Lincoln in half-length portrait, seated, facing front. Photographed by Preston Butler in Springfield, Il, August, 13, 1860. Photographed as an ambrotype on a 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 in. plate.

Thought to be the last beardless portrait of Lincoln, this photo was "made for the portrait painter, John Henry Brown, noted for his miniatures in ivory. ... 'There are so many hard lines in his face,' wrote Brown in his diary, 'that it becomes a mask to the inner man. His true character only shines out when in an animated conversation, or when telling an amusing tale. ... He is said to be a homely man; I do not think so.'"