Object Details
- Artist
- Alexander Gardner, 17 Oct 1821 - 10 Dec 1882
- Sitter
- Abraham Lincoln, 12 Feb 1809 - 15 Apr 1865
- Exhibition Label
- Born Hardin County, Kentucky
- In February of 1865, just two months before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Alexander Gardner created this “cracked-plate” portrait, now considered one of the most important and evocative photographs in American history. The deep lines in Lincoln’s face evoke his weariness at the end of the Civil War, but he also exhibits a slight smile— perhaps a sign of relief as the restoration of the Union drew near. Lincoln had looked forward to continuing his presidency but was assassinated only weeks after beginning his second term.
- At some point, possibly when the glass-plate negative was heated to receive a coat of varnish, a crack appeared in the upper half of Gardner’s plate. He made a single print and then discarded the damaged plate, so only one such portrait exists.
- Nacido Hardin County, Kentucky
- En febrero de 1865, tan solo dos meses antes del asesinato de Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Gardner hizo este retrato “de la placa quebrada”, que hoy se considera una de las fotografías más importantes y evocadoras de la historia estadounidense. Los surcos en la cara de Lincoln reflejan su fatiga al final de la Guerra Civil, pero la leve sonrisa es quizás un signo de alivio, pues la Unión estaba a punto de restaurarse. Lincoln esperaba continuar su administración, pero fue asesinado a pocas semanas de comenzar su segundo término.
- En algún momento, posiblemente al calentar el negativo de vidrio para aplicarle una capa de barniz, apareció una grieta en la parte superior de la placa. Gardner hizo una sola impresión y enseguida descartó la placa quebrada, así que solo existe un retrato de aquel negativo.
- Collection Description
- The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection comprises more than five thousand Civil War-era portrait negatives from the Mathew Brady photography studio in New York City. The collection, which the National Portrait Gallery acquired in 1981, includes portraits of generals, politicians, diplomats, painters, and performers. It also contains depictions of “Human Curiosities” at P. T. Barnum’s American Museum in New York City, that, although highly exploitative, help to document the historical representations of disability in the United States.
- La Colección Frederick Hill Meserve contiene más de 5,000 negativos de retratos de la época de la Guerra Civil provenientes del estudio fotográfico de Mathew Brady en la ciudad de Nueva York. Adquirida por la National Portrait Gallery en 1981, la colección incluye retratos de militares, políticos, diplomáticos y artistas. También contiene imágenes de “curiosidades humanas” exhibidas en el American Museum de P.T. Barnum en Nueva York. Estas últimas, a pesar de su índole degradante, nos ayudan a documentar la representación histórica de las personas discapacitadas en EE.UU.
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Frederick Hill Meserve Collection
- 1865
- Object number
- NPG.81.M1
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Type
- Photograph
- Medium
- Albumen silver print
- Dimensions
- Image: 45 x 38.6cm (17 11/16 x 15 3/16")
- Mat: 61.9 x 50.2cm (24 3/8 x 19 3/4")
- Frame: 74.9 x 63.8 x 7cm (29 1/2 x 25 1/8 x 2 3/4")
- Place
- United States\District of Columbia\Washington
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Location
- Currently not on view
- National Portrait Gallery
- Topic
- Abraham Lincoln: Male
- Abraham Lincoln: Law and Crime\Lawyer
- Abraham Lincoln: Military and Intelligence\Soldier
- Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\President of US
- Abraham Lincoln: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Environmentalist
- Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Merchant
- Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\US Congressman\Illinois
- Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Surveyor
- Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\State Senator\Illinois
- Abraham Lincoln: Politics and Government\Government official\Postmaster
- Abraham Lincoln: Business and Finance\Tradesman\Boat builder
- Portrait
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.81.M1
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm488bacb86-047c-4082-baad-544502d34a42
