Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two cartes de visite commemorating the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Popular in the mid-19th century, particularly during the American Civil War, cartes de visite were small, inexpensive photographs commonly exchanged among friends and family members. People often purchased cartes de visite that depicted prominent figures, such as politicians and celebrities.
The collection is comprised of two 1865 cartes de visite depicting scenes related to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. One depicts a weeping Lady Liberty at Lincoln's tomb and one depicts John Wilkes Booth on horseback encountering the ghost of Lincoln in the woods. The reverse of both cartes de visite display advertisements for a medicinal syrup used to treat cholera.
The Library purchased this collection in 2019 with support from the Dr. Harlan Horner Estate.