Abraham Lincoln's favorite carriage.
It was this carriage that took him, his wife Mary, major Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris to Ford's Theatre. The carriage is a 4-passenger barouche fabricated by the Studebaker Brothers. When the doors are opened, steps unfold. It's now part of their museum along with the carriages of Grant, Harrison, and McKinley.
The last photo of president Lincoln.
next episode: in the theatre
When going to the Ford's Theatre one would have thought that his favorite was the Ford Lincoln :)
ReplyDeleteKennedy was shot in a Lincoln automobile, made by Ford.
DeleteI find that there is something quite sinister-looking about it, but that might just be that I'm not accustomed to viewing carriages. It does look like a carriage in which one might meet one's destiny.
ReplyDeleteI think the colour, or lack of colour helps give it a sinister look. Imagine it painted in a shade of yellow or blue. This would give it a much different appearance. The shape is very elegant and I think beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI rather like the all over black. Very smart - it seems to suit Lincoln's mood in the last photo.
ReplyDeleteYour series of Lincoln assassination-related posts made me think of the (alleged) parallels between the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations (Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln, Lincoln's supposed secretary was named Kennedy, that kind of thing). Informative Studebaker link, I didn't realize they made horseless carriages before the cars. I used to have a penny attached to a card with a list of the Lincoln-Kennedy "parallels" with a little head of Kennedy engraved next to the Lincoln head. The carriage does look funereal.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I've just looked at the parallels, the list is pretty long.
DeleteThe carriage is really very beautiful and elegant.
ReplyDeleteUn Grand homme... très fin stratège...un vrai Chef D'état..
ReplyDeleteThis is an elegant carriage, seems more modern and streamlined for the 1860s. Lincoln had really aged by the time this last photo was taken. Can't imagine the stress he was under during his time as president. Here's another picture of Lincoln taken just two months before his death: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_O-116_by_Gardner,_1865-crop.png
ReplyDeleteIf you look at photos of him before he became president the difference is striking indeed. Also Alexander Gardner was a skillfull photographer, his portraits are amazing.
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