Image:Lincolnatpeace2.jpg

[edit] The long lost death photo of Abraham Lincoln?

Originally from the private collection of the Bachelder family. This is an image from a very rare carte-de-viste from the John B. Bachelder estate. In his book, Lincoln's Photographs: A Complete Album by Lloyd Ostendorf, a recognized Lincoln expert, claims this photograph of Lincoln was taken by Bachelder, the noted photographer, artist, and engraver in Washington D.C., at the White House within 24 hours after Lincoln's assassination.

"The reverse of this photograph of Lincoln in death bears the inscription: 'Lincoln photograph taken by Uncle Bachelder after Lincoln died.' The life-like quality and photographic perspective is evident in the image even thought [sic] some retouching has been applied. The exposure was evidently taken under poor lighting conditions and under difficult circumstances; the task was obviously undertaken in purposeful secrecy" (Ostendorf, 374).

"A post-mortem portrait... An extremely rare carte-de-viste discovered in the estate of artist and engraver John B. Bachelder. The heretofore unpublished photograph of Abraham Lincoln seen at the right was taken on approximately April 16, 1865, after the President's death. Apparently, it was to serve as a model for the death-bed scene produced by Bachelder in collaboration with Alonzo Chappel" (Ostendorf, 375).

Whether this is an authentic post-mortem photograph of Lincoln has not been settled. In The Lincoln Forum: Rediscovering Abraham Lincoln, 2002, Edited by John Y Simon, Harold Holzer, the author notes that that some have challenged this photograph's authenticity.(Simon, 225)

If Bachelder indeed made this photograph, Ostendorf lists it as Bachelder's only Lincoln photograph. (Ostendorf, 420)

But let us not forget from the numerious reports that the men were known to each other as even having been more than aquaintencess in life, and so just how ironic that he, John, may have taken the long lost death photo of President Lincoln if it is indeed proven scientificaly valid, Bachelder and Abraham Lincoln knew each other in life during the war campains Lincoln consulted with Bachelder, often pouring over his maps an layouts he made of the battle scenes, to show an eager Lincoln and his generals, etching he even did by balloon, sketchings of the Confederate enemy providing the Union Soldiers far below of his apponents activity's.....from "The Washington Gazzette" October 1864.

It was taken as common knowledge of the day, that indeed they were on amiable terms as men, and had became become fast friends in life, during the exsperiences of the war this is proven by newspaper and socieity papers still in extant today, collected thanks in no small part to Bachelders family themselves,their children saving all the clippings of their well known father J B. Bachelder, from The New York Times , (rare three year run, 1863 summer seasonal edition.)

Many such newspapers, and war books of the period show the Lincoln-Bachedler and a deep deep connection they worked together on for the wars end, are these same news magazines and papers are on display near anywhere on the east coat, also in shoppes or musiuems to t the least view, and are still avaliable to the general public!

They are there for viewing or or purchase or copys made of the period in question of "whether they knew one another, or not, of 1861 to 1865. and then photograph him..in death, That Lincoln and Bachelder knew one another indeed from from many contempoary newspaper records of the times in which the crossed paths, and they lived in the 1860's, is not up for debate, its an easy to prove for any slueth or detectives finding of fact.

There really is strong evidence in the photograph itself that it is real and not some fools hoax, NPOV The fixed dead.. yet slightly open eyes ...of the genuine A.Lincoln in this picture...look below his prominant brows, (anothing thing most often correctly "captured" in photographs only (npov)).

But even in death they remained true to his face, which was true to the picture Bachelder took, but now in a sad repose to us all down the era's of time who still loved him and his uniqueness as as a person, Now he was asleep from a weary world that wore him down at last, at the hands of the inevitable lone gun-man, name in shame them.. in small letters!...lee harvey oswald or mark david chapman... or john wilkes booth,

We know with an equel knowlege that it is him based upon the evidence drawn from "The Lincoln-Bachelder Archives Vol 3", The Concord Historical Society. and other reliable sources, this is not a document from the scandle sheets or proposterious tales.

The N.H. Historcal Society in Concord New Hampshire U.S.A., for starters is a good sourse of info.

This 141 year old photograph and its documents that acompany it will be at last recognised by as the genuine A.Lincoln photograph and family records donated by John Bachelder that it is, and they are.

Abraham Lincoln's only surviving post mortem close up photo that has come to us from down the ages of 141 years so far only was almost out of luck it seems, but John B.Batchelder went about his work on his President, and friend, Lincoln valued Bachelder for his Civil War painting etchings for practical reasons, as ofter reported in newspapers of the day...now...there he was at lincolns side...by his Commander In Chief taking it is known, at least 3 photographs of Lincoln at the time, regretfully for historians and all americans, only this one copy remained of this one more than a few taken but destroyed by Stanton, if he but could find them,in his obssesion to obliterate Lincoln's likeness in death! but he failed thankfully now at leaast in two cases~!

The first one resurfaced in the 1950's of the one at City Hall in New York City, Which was the first "long lost death photo of Abraham Lincoln discovered!" (and the kid did true research and found the picture at the library of Congress he was/is still a true student of Lincoln.

Anyway all material on this immediate issue regarding this photograph where originally from the private collection of the Bachelder family of a small New England town, not very far from Boston by car it has been verified and published by 4th generation of the still living decendent/relatives of John B. Bachelder.

Technically is it both clever and natural what Bachelder did, a famed civil war painter and photographer, but he was known as a battlefield color schetcher. any contemparary weekly tals of his ongoing civil war work, esspecially after the wars end when he could at long last afford to be no longer a "unsung hero".

For what he did to restore his subject in the quickly taken photograph, of his face and his beard resting (on a funeral)~pillow of the period, he did then restore via a careful retouching of the photograph to present and show this long lost death photo of Lincoln, in a much less shocking respectful more remembered this way to the people of the nation a more natural and "lifelike" appearence were the photograph to be published, eventually it was used in several famous death bed paintings... we can thank him indeed!

Also much of this was drawn from photocopied period documents in my possesion now, just drawn from "The Lincoln-Bachelder Archives Vol 3", The Concord Historical Society." In Concord New Hampshire, ( i think! will confirm by tommorow which one!) and from the Americal Historical Society in Concord New Hampshire. U.S.A.

Get read or buy popular magazines, "period newspapers", and see what the what the goings on of the Lincolns did on a daily basis then as its funny but people were gossuping and wondering about "celebrity" even in those day, (gee...imagine that!)

Reading some of these papers it was like "hanging out" w/President Lincoln and Mary Todd and their adventuresome lads Tad and Willie, back in the day...so to speak.

There are several period papers where it was annouced that the Bachelder's were mentioned but "private diarys" kept amazingly pristine for generations,and back up the claim of this haunting photo of Lincoln as being a true one indeed.

Description	Abraham Lincoln, The late 16th president of The United States.
Source	"The Lincoln-Bachelder Archives Vol 3", The Concord Historical Society. and other reliable sources, originally from the private collection of theJohn B. Bachelder Family.
Date	1865 April. 16
Author	John B. Bachelder
Permission	This image is in the public domain in the United States. In most cases, this means that it was published in the United States prior to January 1, 1923 or that its first publication anywhere in the world was prior to January 1, 1909 or that its copyright expired in the United States. This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States (this especially applies in Canada, China except Macao, Germany or Switzerland). The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. See Wikipedia:Public domain and Wikipedia:Copyrights for more details.