Mary Lincoln, Tintype, with Ayers mat

Description

Scarce tintype of Mary Lincoln housed in a carte mat by George F. Ayer of Portland, Maine – labeled as one of his “Union Card Pictures” on the verso.  Ayer issued quite a few patriotic tins of Abraham, but this is one of only a few tins extant of Mary!

As it is a tintype, it is the reverse of a probable Wenderoth and Taylor image taken in very late 1864 at the Executive Mansion in Washington, DC. (The Philadelphia firm also took two of Lincoln, one of which was used to make a “life” oil painting.)

Mary wore this jewelry earlier in a photograph taken by Mathew Brady in New York, probably in February 1861. That photo is number ML O-4.

An artistic rendering, with red-tinted cheeks.  Unusual with her mouth somewhat open!  A small scratch in the original emulsion does not detract from this rare close-up image of the First Lady.

Lincoln, Mary. Tintype. Washington (probably at the Executive Mansion), 1864 (probably Wenderoth & Taylor); with Ayers carte mat; ML O-24.