Zachary Taylor portrait from Presidential Inaugurations

What it is

This is an engraved portrait of Zachary Taylor, printed as a book illustration in 1893. It appears in a later collection titled Presidential Inaugurations from George Washington 1789 to Grover Cleveland 1893, which includes inaugural addresses. The image is a scan of a later print, not an original portrait from Taylor's lifetime. It is held by The British Library.

Why it matters

The portrait shows how Taylor was presented to readers decades after his death in 1850. Collections like this one gathered presidents' inaugurations in a single volume, so the picture reflects how later publishers chose to remember him. It tells us about the book's readers as much as about Taylor himself.

Look closer

• What clothing and background did the engraver choose, and what message might they send?
• Why was this portrait placed in a book about inaugurations?
• What does the portrait leave out about Taylor's career before he became president?