Description

This very detailed lithograph features the calligraphic portrait of President Abraham Lincoln formed within the text of the Emancipation Proclamation as well as the names of the members of Congress who voted for the resolution to submit to the legislatures of the several states for the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibiting slavery forever. An eagle holding an "E Pluribus Unum" banner in its beak and having a patriotic shield as its body is at the top of this large print. Below the eagle's claws is a decorative oval frame surrounding the calligraphic text of the Proclamation in which some is written in darker ink to form the portrait of President Lincoln. Surrounding the oval frame are swirls on which are printed the names of the Congressmen mentioned above. A decorative vine shaped around the oval and extending up to the eagle's wings has 36 medallions hanging from it, one medallion for each state. Each medallion has the name of the state at the top and an image representing the state's seal. In the lower left corner of the print is a ribbon on which is printed "Designed and written by W. H. Pratt, Davenport, Iowa" and a wartime illustration. In the lower right corner is a ribbon on which is printed "Lith and print by A. Hageboeck, Davenport, Iowa" and a naval battle illustration. The publisher's information is in the center just below the image in the lower margin. Part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum