Lincoln Funeral Procession Carte de visite, 1865

This collection consists of a carte de visite of the coffin and catafalque of Abraham Lincoln taken during the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, stop of the Lincoln funeral train on April 22, 1865.

Following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination on April 15, 1865, it was decided that his body would be transported to its final burial place in Springfield, Illinois, by rail. Starting in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 1865, the Lincoln funeral train made several stops in five states. At each stop, the coffin and catafalque would be removed from the train and laid in state for a period of time, often one day, for citizens to pay their respects. Cartes de visite were small, inexpensive photographs commonly exchanged among friends and family members and were popular in the mid-19th century, particularly during the American Civil War.

This collection contains a carte de visite of the Lincoln funeral procession from its stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 22, 1865. The image shows the coffin of Lincoln and its catafalque, draped in black, parked on a street outside the office of undertaker C.S. Earley and surrounded by visitors. Lincoln laid in state at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on April 22 and 23. It is noted that 500,000 people arrived in Philadelphia to see the fallen President. The back of the carte de visite reads, "Additional copies printed to order. N.B.—Negatives preserved."

The Library purchased this collection in 2022 with support from the Dr. Harlan Horner estate.