Abraham Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois c. 1860 - 1880

This portrait of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, was made by Alexander Hesler, using the wet collodion process, a photographic technique that was state-of-the-art at the time. To produce this image, a glass plate would have been coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposed in the camera while still wet, and then developed immediately. This painstaking process yielded a finely detailed negative, from which multiple prints could be made on paper. The resulting image has a remarkable tonal range, capturing the texture of Lincoln's skin and the fabric of his suit. Hesler's choice of this relatively new medium was significant. Photography offered a means of mass-producing images and disseminating them widely, which democratized portraiture, previously only available to the wealthy. It’s a reminder that even in the 19th century, technological innovation had a profound impact on social and political life, helping to build Lincoln's image as a man of the people.