Rare Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth Photographs Fetch Over $100,000 at Auction

Long before photographs became infinitely scrollable files on a phone, a single portrait could shape how the public remembered a president, a war hero, or even an assassin. That history was on full display at a recent auction featuring signed photographs from some of the most recognizable figures in American history, including rare images tied to Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth.

Among the standout sales by Swann Auction Galleries was a signed carte de visite portrait of Lincoln by celebrated Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner. The image sold for $139,200 and showed Lincoln in a three quarter pose looking directly into the camera. According to the auction description, the photograph was taken on August 9, 1863, during Lincoln’s visit to Gardner’s Washington studio.

The timing adds another layer of historical significance. On the same day the portrait was captured, Lincoln reportedly wrote to General Grant about efforts to recruit Black soldiers into the Union Army during the Civil War. 

Another Lincoln photograph also drew strong bidding, selling for $101,600. This oval albumen print included the inscription “Yours truly, ALincoln,” written directly on the mount. The auction notes stated that the image had originally been presented to Richard Edwards of St. Louis shortly before Lincoln left Springfield for Washington in 1861.

Why Lincoln Photographs Still Matter

Photographs of Lincoln remain some of the most studied images in American visual history. During his presidency, photography was still relatively new, yet Lincoln understood its power in shaping public perception.

Photographers like Mathew Brady and Gardner helped create what became the visual identity of Lincoln during the Civil War era. Many historians credit Brady’s studio portraits with helping humanize Lincoln for voters at a time when photography was becoming more accessible to the public.

Today, signed Lincoln photographs are especially prized because authenticated examples are limited. Many were damaged, lost, or heavily handled over the decades. Condition, provenance, and inscriptions all play a major role in determining value.

A Rare Signed Booth Portrait

One of the most striking sales involved a signed portrait of John Wilkes Booth, which sold for $107,950. The half length portrait by Boston photographers Case & Getchell showed Booth seated with a cane in hand, inscribed with “Yours Truly / J. Wilkes Booth.”

Booth remains one of the most infamous figures in American history due to the assassination of Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in 1865. Signed material connected to Booth is comparatively rare, partly because many items associated with him were destroyed or discarded after the assassination.

For collectors, the pairing of Lincoln and Booth photographs in the same sale creates an unusual historical contrast. One image represents the preservation of a president’s legacy. The other captures the man responsible for ending it.

Other Recent Auction Sales

Historic photography continues to attract major collector interest beyond political portraits. Recently, DIYPhotography reported that the only known Hasselblad photograph of Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface sold for more than $25,000. 

Another sale involved a rare Zeiss lens linked to the Apollo program, which was expected to reach six figures at auction.

As photography becomes more digital and disposable, these physical prints seem to carry even greater weight. If a single portrait can still sell for over $100,000 more than 150 years later, what photographs from today will future collectors fight over?

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