Better PhotograPhy150
Photograph by:
Mathew Brady
Image Source:
Library of Congressapril 2015The Photograph that Won Lincoln the Presidency
P
ioneer photographer Mathew Brady is best known for his photographs of the
vivid battlefields of the American Civil War (1861–1865). However, he also
photographed 18 Presidents of the United States, one of whom was Abraham
Lincoln. This particular image of Lincoln was shot on 27 February 1860, just
moments before he could deliver his famous Cooper Union address in New
York. The success of the speech won him the approval and support for his presidential
candidacy among New Yorkers.
In the weeks succeeding the event, the image appeared in publications like Harper ’s
Weekly, who converted the photograph to a full-page woodcut portrait, commending
Lincoln on his triumph. Later, in October, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper also featured
the image. Brady himself sold several carte-de-visite photographs of the image as well.
When asked about the photograph, Brady recollected how he drew Lincoln’s collar
up high, in order to give him a more distinguished appearance. A year after securing the
Republican nomination and the presidency, Lincoln met Brady and told him that this
image and his Cooper Union speech were responsible for him winning the Presidency.