Portrait of Abraham Lincoln
Date: February 24, 1861 Creator: Alexander Gardner Medium: Glass plate collodion negative
This photograph was taken in the days following President-elect Lincoln’s arrival in Washington, D.C. He is dressed in the outfit that would become his most recognizable look: a black frock coat, matching waistcoat and trousers, a narrow black cravat, and polished black leather shoes. His hat rests on the table next to him. Photographs of Lincoln from the 1840s and 1850s show that by this time, his signature look was well-established.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Frederick Hill Meserve Collection
Cravat
Date: ca. 1860 Creator: UnknownMedium: Silk
Lincoln’s silk cravat held some surprising secrets: It was pre-tied and fastened at the back. The bow was also intentionally sewn on crooked, and Lincoln preferred to wear it slightly off-center. This preference could be due to Lincoln's favoring an early 1850s trend in neckwear, when neckties became thinner and were tied asymmetrically with one side of the bow extended.
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Top Hat
Date: UnknownCreator: J Y. Davis Medium: Silk
Lincoln’s iconic top hat style dates back to at least the 1830s, where he was seen in New Salem wearing a top hat and a grey suit. While the top hats of the 1830s had a more curved line, a brief period in the 1850s saw the popularity of the stove pipe hat, a top hat with an eight-inch crown and straighter sides.
War Department, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Boots
Date: 1861Creator: Johnston & Murphy Medium: Leather
This detail depicts the custom boots made for President Lincoln in 1861 by the company Johnston & Murphy. Johnston & Murphy first made shoes for President Millard Fillmore and would go on to make shoes for countless U.S. presidents. Lincoln’s custom shoes were a size 14.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution;Frederick Hill Meserve Collection
Office Suit
Date: ca. 1860-65Creator: Rembrandt Peale Medium: Broadcloth
This suit, similar to the one worn by Lincoln in the photograph, was worn as his office suit during his presidency.
Gift of Mrs. William Hunt, 1894,National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Suited to Lead: Abraham Lincoln
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Portrait of Abraham Lincoln
Date: February 24, 1861 Creator: Alexander Gardner Medium: Glass plate collodion negative
This photograph was taken in the days following President-elect Lincoln’s arrival in Washington, D.C. He is dressed in the outfit that would become his most recognizable look: a black frock coat, matching waistcoat and trousers, a narrow black cravat, and polished black leather shoes. His hat rests on the table next to him. Photographs of Lincoln from the 1840s and 1850s show that by this time, his signature look was well-established.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Frederick Hill Meserve Collection
Cravat
Date: ca. 1860 Creator: UnknownMedium: Silk
Lincoln’s silk cravat held some surprising secrets: It was pre-tied and fastened at the back. The bow was also intentionally sewn on crooked, and Lincoln preferred to wear it slightly off-center. This preference could be due to Lincoln's favoring an early 1850s trend in neckwear, when neckties became thinner and were tied asymmetrically with one side of the bow extended.
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Top Hat
Date: UnknownCreator: J Y. Davis Medium: Silk
Lincoln’s iconic top hat style dates back to at least the 1830s, where he was seen in New Salem wearing a top hat and a grey suit. While the top hats of the 1830s had a more curved line, a brief period in the 1850s saw the popularity of the stove pipe hat, a top hat with an eight-inch crown and straighter sides.
War Department, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Boots
Date: 1861Creator: Johnston & Murphy Medium: Leather
This detail depicts the custom boots made for President Lincoln in 1861 by the company Johnston & Murphy. Johnston & Murphy first made shoes for President Millard Fillmore and would go on to make shoes for countless U.S. presidents. Lincoln’s custom shoes were a size 14.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution;Frederick Hill Meserve Collection
Office Suit
Date: ca. 1860-65Creator: Rembrandt Peale Medium: Broadcloth
This suit, similar to the one worn by Lincoln in the photograph, was worn as his office suit during his presidency.
Gift of Mrs. William Hunt, 1894,National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution