Description

This portrait of Abraham Lincoln on a slab of limestone was done from a photograph taken of him on June 3, 1860, in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln is shown beardless wearing a black coat, vest, and bow tie. The artist's signature "Lewis" is on Lincoln's left arm. Handwritten below the portrait is a quotation from President Lincoln's last public address in Washington, D. C., on April 11, 1865: "He from Whom all blessings flow must not be forgotten..." The artist selected a piece of rock from a quarry at Limestone, Ontario, and scrubbed and bleached it. After bleaching the stone was placed in an oven and dried after which it was sanded and washed again. The portrait was sketched on the stone with India ink. Each coat of dye was applied with wooden sticks and allowed to dry before the next one was added. When the portrait was completed, a plastic chemical was applied to close all of the pores of the stone. The final step was an application of hot oil which was rubbed heavily into the stone and then wiped dry. Part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum