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Primary sourcePhotograph19th century

Carte-de-visite Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

19th century

A small photographic portrait card of Abraham Lincoln, kept in a European album of royals and famous political figures.

A collectible photographic portrait of Lincoln, showing his international fame and the impact of his assassination.

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Sepia carte-de-visite photograph of Abraham Lincoln, head and shoulders, in an arched mount with a printed caption reading President Lincoln, assassinated by Wilkes Booth, April 14th 1865. Handwritten notes on the album page.
Portrait of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States. Rijksmuseum, Netherlands.

About this source

What it is

This is a carte-de-visite, a small photographic portrait card, showing the head and shoulders of Abraham Lincoln. It is mounted in an arched frame with a printed caption noting his assassination by Wilkes Booth on 14 April 1865. The card is part of an album of 123 cartes-de-visite of European royal family members, politicians, and other well-known people, held by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands.

Why it matters

Cartes-de-visite were popular collectible photographs in the 19th century, often traded and kept in albums. That Lincoln's portrait appears in a European collection alongside royalty and politicians shows how his fame—and the shock of his assassination—spread internationally.

Look closer

  • Why might Lincoln's portrait have been included in a European album of famous figures?
  • What does the printed caption about his assassination tell you about how this card was used or sold?
  • What handwritten notes appear on the page, and what might they add to the story?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Abraham Lincoln on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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