https://www.discovery.com/dnews/long-lost-photo-of-abraham-lincoln-on-deathbed-featured-in-new-d

Watched the show on the Science (Discovery) Channel about this photo that was recently revealed. I saw the photo before the show and pretty much dismissed it. The nose isn't right and the person looks too emaciated in my opinion to be Lincoln. However, I went ahead and watched the show and came away with a little more belief that it might be Lincoln but I still don't think it is.

The evidence that intrigued me was the scar and markings on the face that match, that phot recognition software matched it to 5 of the last pictures of Lincoln as a 75% or greater match, that the Ulke brothers that lived upstairs from the Lincoln death chamber were amateur photographers and artists. That they did make two photos of the death bed after Lincoln was removed that did not show up until the 20th century. Not sure if those photos were ambrotypes like that one and they did not mention that but I'd like to know if they are. If they aren't than that casts doubt on this photo as it is the older ambrotype process. The provenance of the photo was believable as well.

The lady who did the investigation was the same one who investigated the Billy the Kid photo of him playing croquet. Interesting show but I'm merely intrigued not convinced that this is Lincoln.

Saw the same show, she seemed pretty convincing.

One thing I didn't see covered, what about the blanket? Looks like it would be described in historical accounts, kept as a souvenir, or would show up in photos of the death bed.

Yeah that one bothered me too because the blanket doesn't look like the one in the confirmed brother's photos of the room.

Though the big dark pillow looks similar.

I guess the blanket might have been used to wrap and transport Lincoln's body?

Still weird that people had this photo for 150+ years and the original photographers left no oral or written history?

Possibly, that was my thought too about the blanket.

They left no record of the two pictures of the bed so they would be even more cautious about the corpse photo I would guess. I did find in a book from my library that the two pictures of the bed were carte de vise photos and not ambrotypes. So if this story is true, they took an ambrotype of the body, then after it was removed they switched processes and went to cart de vise. I find that suspect.

Interestingly the book I looked at has a page of about 6 other supposed photos of Lincoln in death. All of those look more bogus than this one.

The bullet supposedly entered behind his left ear and tore through the brain and lodged behind his right eye....bruising it. I must say that the photo does show "something" different in the right eye. Then again.....in what world would they just leave the body unattended and allow two men to set up and take a photo of it? It's not like they just pulled their camera phone out real quick. (I'm sure that most have seen the photo of Lincoln in the casket when he was traveling back to Springfield)

They didn't, the show says a Lt. Col. was in charge of the body and he let the brothers take the photo. Later he supposedly gave the photo to the Hawks family where Lincoln's step mom came from.

The other thing that bothers me about the picture his beard looks too thin and light compared to Lincoln's. If you look at his last known live photo and the one Big Hunter refers to of him in his casket in New York the beard is more like a goatee than what this corpse has. Of course they might have trimmed him up at the undertaker's.

I've kind of reached my conclusion that if I had the money to buy it or was advising someone who wanted to buy it that I would say don't buy.

BQ78 said:

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That is one from 1863. This one was taken a month before he died, matches up pretty well with the way his beard appears in the casket photo:



But I think all three indicate he had a thicker beard than the corpse photo. Plus compare the eyebrows in all of them, Lincoln's brows are thicker too. Not even mentioning the hairline that is much fuller in the known Lincolns. The more I look, the more I am convinced.

I've always been intrigued by the Lincoln Assassination and would love to watch this program. I'm checking in to Discovery plus....did the show mention why his eyes were open? He was unconscious for 9 hours before he died, and you'd think the eyes would be closed. That being said, I have witnessed someone unconscious for 6 hours suddenly open their eyes at the moment they passed, so I guess it's not out of the question. I'm with BQ 78....I'd take a hard pass if I had the funds to purchase it!

The show mentioned the eyes, they assumed the photographer propped them open.

Well I broke down and got the Discovery Plus free trial and watched it. I'll admit, the show does a good job of pushing the narrative and it is extremely plausible. A couple of questions remain however, from known statements of those in the death room. 1.). The corpse has a shirt on....but, when Lincoln was placed in the bed alive they took his shirt off and covered him with blankets. He died with no shirt on at 7:22. So....the show alleges the Ulke brothers quickly came down around 8 when all had left but the officer in charge and were in and out in a 15-20 minute window. No official record exists of putting Lincoln's clothes back on. Why then, does the corpse have a shirt on? 2.). The eyes were closed by the assistant Sec of Treasury after death...and Dr Charles Leale put silver dollars over the eyes before leaving. The show referenced the Ulke brothers doing paintings and pictures of the dead with the eyes open, so I guess they quickly removed the silver dollars and opened the eyes to get the look they wanted? I'm still very much on the fence, but lean towards it not being authentic. *** Thanks for sharing this topic...it's a good one!

Big Hunter:

I had forgotten about your first point that is an excellent observation. I doubt the brothers decided to dress him up if they were in a hurry. Too many no's and very few but intriguing yeses.

And since we've mentioned the casket photo of Lincoln a few times, here it is:

I have several assassination books and probably the best one is Manhunt: The 12 day chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson. He was interviewed in the show....kind of seemed unconvinced. His book says that Stanton was in the room around 9:00 am when soldiers returned with a plain wooden coffin....he says they unfurled a large American Flag, approached the President's naked body, and wrapped him in the cotton bunting (flag), screwed it shut and headed for the Whitehouse for the autopsy. So, with the picture in question with the subject dressed in a white shirt, once again, I have to see this as not authentic. (Wish I was wrong)!!

Not convinced either. The lower nose looks different on the dead vs living pic. Also don't see some of Lincoln's facial cysts on the 'death' photo.

They did try to explain the nose issue by saying it was direct sunlight from the window causing some distortion.

The one thing about the show that bothered me was that pathologist who just threw out the "fact" that Lincoln had Syphilis and was taking blue mass. I went, "wait, what?" I've never heard that except for vicious rumors.