To prove I am working while traipsing about the West Coast

So, in addition to my meeting out here, I had this remarkable little collection arrive on Sunday...just before I flew out. In addition to a collection of Presidential letters/documents from Washington to Reagan and a very significant letter (and signed engraving) of John Hancock, there was this interesting photograph of Lincoln dated "March 6th, 1865"...this got me thinking, as he was shot about 6 weeks later and I dug about to see what I could find out about the image. As it turns out, it was the *last* photograph of Lincoln and, interesting, was immediately remounted/reissued by the photographer with a mounting of "The Last Photograph..." after the assassination. By itself, this would be a cool backstory for an image...but it gets much better, involving the President's young son and a pony. Enjoy:

Lincoln, Abraham; Warren, H.F. (photo). The Latest Photograph of Abraham Lincoln. Waltham, MA: H.F. Warren, March, 1865. First State. Bright and clean. 6”x8.25” image on 10”x13.5” mount. Original Albumen Photograph.. Fine.
This original albumen official photo of Abraham Lincoln, taken on March 6, 1865, by photographer H. F. Warren of Waltham, MA, is the last photograph taken of the President before his death on April 15th. Taken on March 6th, 1865, the photo is mounted to a cardstock photographer's mount and labeled "The Latest Photograph of President Lincoln - Taken On The Balcony At The White House, March 6, 1865." After Lincoln's assassination, the photograph was immediately reissued with the caption changed to "Last Photograph of President Lincoln.

“The most unusual photograph of President Abraham Lincoln, and his very last, was ... [taken] in the White House itself on a windy Monday afternoon, March 6, 1865. It was during the closing days of the Civil War that Henry F. Warren, a photographer from Waltham, Massachusetts, attempted to obtain a pass to photograph the Union forces in front of Richmond. He arrived in Washington in time for Lincoln’s second inauguration when the historical importance of photographing the president occurred to him. Though turned away with the daily throng of office seekers and lobbyists, Warren was told by a White House guard that “the surest way to obtain an audience with the President was through the intercession of his little son, ‘Tad.’” When Lincoln’s son appeared in the White House garden on his pony, it didn’t take Warren long to devise a plan to photograph the president.

“Tad” and his pony were soon placed in position and photographed, after which Mr. Warren asked “Tad” to tell his father that a man had come all the way from Boston, and was particularly anxious to see him and obtain a sitting from him. “Tad” went to see his father, and word was soon returned that Mr. Lincoln would comply. In the meantime, Mr. Warren had improvised a kind of studio upon the south balcony of the White House. Mr. Lincoln soon came out, and saying but a very few words, took his seat as indicated. After a single negative was taken, he inquired: “Is that all sir?” Unwilling to detain him any longer than was absolutely necessary, Mr. Warren replies: “Yes, sir,” and the President immediately withdrew. At the time he appeared on the balcony the wind was blowing freshly, as his disarranged hair indicates, and, as sunset was rapidly approaching, it was difficult to obtain a sharp picture. Six weeks later President Lincoln was dead, and it is doubtless true that this is the last photograph ever made of him.14 Lincoln interrupted his busy day—a meeting with former Congressman John T. Stuart of Illinois, a noon reception of a diplomatic corps, a conference with Marcus L. Ward, later governor of New Jersey—simply to comply with his son’s request to be photographed. The slight scowl on the president’s face, as clearly seen in the Warren photograph, might reflect his annoyance over the intrusion, or perhaps Lincoln was simply preoccupied." [From the White House History web site].

I leave on the redeye at midnight and get into NY tomorrow at 8ish. Too much to do. I should be in rare form this weekend.