Today , Bowdoin College is set to show off an implausibly rare acquisition — a vintage photo of Abraham Lincoln ’s inauguration from 1861 . The image , one of only three known to exist , record a large crowd gathered outside the east side of the US Capitol to attend Lincoln ’s curse word - in ceremony .
Maine ’s Bowdoin College Museum of Art , which set about its hands on the photo at an auction last October , will unveil the exposure later today . It ’s believe to have been aim by notable Scotch - American photographerAlexander Gardner , known for his work during the US Civil War . Only two other copies of this pic exist — one in a Smithsonian Institution assembling and theotherat the Library of Congress .
This is the first photo ever take of a presidential inauguration , and it ’s one of the first shots of a so - call up “ spiritualist mo . ” According to Bowdoin , the tradition of photographing politician and other celebrities in public belike began at this very bit .
The unmixed existence of this 156 - yr - sure-enough exposure is a belittled miracle unto itself . Photos this old , without proper care , will undergo various stages of radioactive decay . picture , slides , and negative are made by using chemicals that are raw to moisture , light , and changes in temperature . As meter passes , these chemicals degrade and the range of a function take off to fade away , typically become white-livered and developing cracks . Other factors , such as exposure to oil , dust , dirt and some gas also bestow to picture worsening .
The eccentric of camera used to take this photo is not known , but given the time period , it was potential a camera that useda “ wet home base ” negativeprocess , an important development that allowed for a theoretically straight-out number of positive prints on paper . Despite the blurry , ghost - similar features in the pic , this method acting was look at fast at the time , requiring only a few seconds for photograph .
It was also taken at an interesting time in US history . The Civil War began just six week later on , and by this point , seven states had already break away from the Union . The atmosphere in Washington was tense , as rumors were swirling of an blackwash plot against the newly elect president . During the swearing - in ceremonial occasion , Lincoln called for 1 and expressed a desire to address the differences that divided the country .
My , how fiddling political rhetoric has convert over the days .
[ Times Colonist ]
Abraham LincolnHistory
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