Original CDV photograph of Abraham Lincoln, taken February 9, 1864, 10 months before his assassination (SOLD)

This is another nice piece being offered, it is an original CDV photograph of President Abraham Lincoln. It is the usual size of approximately 2 ½” x 4”. The backmark is “R.A. LEWIS / 152 Chatham Street, New York”. This view was taken by Matthew Brady Studio photographer Anthony Berger. It was taken on February 9, 1864, in Washington, DC.

These CDV images of Lincoln were very popular during the Civil War, and after he was assassinated, they became highly collectable, even today. I believe this CDV was once glued or attached in a photo album because there is a dark spot on the top of the back. The CDV is in excellent condition, clear with no folds or creases – it was never trimmed.

In 1895 Robert Todd Lincoln wrote "I have always thought the Brady photograph of my father, of which I attach a copy, to be the most satisfactory likeness of him. President Lincoln made himself readily available to many photographers of the era, leaving a large and varied photo legacy. This photograph is one in a series made on February 9, 1864 by Anthony Berger at Mathew Brady's Washington, D.C. gallery.

The image shows Lincoln affecting a “faint suggestion of merriment in his sparkling eyes, as though a smile were about to ignite his masklike face.” This image was adapted into an engraving currently used on the U.S. Five Dollar bill. It also “inspired many paintings,