Bust portrait of Abraham Lincoln with beard – facing right. Facsimile signature above full name. Colored print.
During the Civil War, Currier & Ives produced hundreds of images of the founding fathers, popular presidents and heroic soldiers. Public demand for images that celebrated American pride increased between the beginning of the war in 1860 through the nation’s centennial in 1876. Among the most popular personalities depicted was Abraham Lincoln. After George Washington fought bravely for an independent nation, the fabric of the United States was threatened by Southern succession and the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, ranked as one of the nation’s greatest presidents, made it clear that the most important role he played in resolving the conflict between the North and South was to save the Union.
