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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;2manybooks, post: 1540051, member: 8267&quot;][USER=13529]@Joseph Mason[/USER] / [USER=13646]@Meet the real Donna![/USER]</p><p>When making an extraordinary claim such as &quot;This is the only known photograph of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln posed together&quot;, the burden of proof rests on the person making such a claim, as [USER=649]@bluumz[/USER] has said. It is not the burden of others to prove that the claim is not true.</p><p><br /></p><p>Can you provide provenance for the daguerreotype - a history of where it came from?&nbsp; Without evidence directly tying the daguerreotype to the Lincolns, the case must rest on internal evidence - features of the photograph itself. Your contention is that the image was created &quot;the evening of March 4, 1861&quot;, and that the two people are wearing the clothing they wore at the inaugural ball that evening. (Drawing from your website, <a href="http://abeandmarydag.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://abeandmarydag.com/" rel="nofollow">http://abeandmarydag.com/</a>)</p><p><br /></p><p>Here, the evidence can be divided into two groups - features of the photograph as an object (the type of photograph - daguerreotype - the case, mat and preserver), and features/content of the image. You have not shown us the daguerreotype case, which can sometimes be useful in dating the object. We have already discussed features of the mat and preserver that would indicate a likely date between 1847 (when preservers were introduced) and about 1855 (based on the style of the mat and preserver).</p><p><br /></p><p>We have discussed at length whether or not the two individuals in the photograph physically resemble Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. The weight of opinion seems to be against any significant resemblance, and contributors here have given specific reasons for such an opinion. In this regard, your view must also be considered only an opinion, as there is no definitive proof either way.</p><p><br /></p><p>So, we come down to other features of the image.</p><p><br /></p><p>With regard to the height disparity between Abraham and Mary, you state that &quot;Mary is clearly seated upon a cushion in an attempt to mitigate the fourteen inch disparity in height&quot;. No cushion is visible in the image. You seem to be reasoning in reverse - the photo is of Abraham and Mary, therefore she must be sitting on a cushion. This type of reasoning does not support your case.</p><p><br /></p><p>You state that &quot;The gold watch chain pictured in the dag image is in the possession of the Chicago History Museum&quot;. While the Museum does have Lincoln&#039;s watch and chain,</p><p><a href="http://digitalcollection.chicagohistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16029coll3/id/2122/rec/14" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://digitalcollection.chicagohistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16029coll3/id/2122/rec/14" rel="nofollow">http://digitalcollection.chicagohistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16029coll3/id/2122/rec/14</a></p><p>it is impossible to say whether the chain shown in the image is the same chain. Pocket watches with chains were common appurtenances in the 19th century,and there is nothing unique about either Lincoln&#039;s watch chain or the one in the image to allow anyone to say they are one and the same.</p><p><br /></p><p>You state that &quot;Mary is wearing the blue watered silk gown with the deeply bordered, white Point D&#039; Alencon lace collar that was her inaugural ball attire&quot;. There does seem to be some question as to whether either of the gowns recorded in portraits taken by Mathew Brady is the original inaugural ball gown. There has been some discussion of the color of the dresses, but it is not easy to interpret color from early orthochromatic black and white photographs. However, it is clear that the dress the woman in the image is wearing cannot be it. According to a quote provided by you from the New York Times from March 6, 1861, Mrs. Lincoln, wore &quot;a <u><b>low-necked</b></u> lavender silk&quot;. A low-necked bodice would be a typical style for an early 1860s ball gown. The woman in your image is definitely not wearing a low-necked dress, but a style more typical of the mid-century. bluumz has also discussed the difference in the type of lace worn by the woman in the image, and a Point D&#039; Alencon lace such as was worn by Mrs. Lincoln.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope I have provided a clear and objective summary of some of the legitimate reasons people have to doubt your identification of this daguerreotype.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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