[chris]

Gurney & Son photographed Abraham Lincoln's open coffin in the rotunda of New York City Hall on April 24, 1865, during the funeral train's stop in New York. Taken from a gallery above the rotunda shortly before the public viewing opened, it is the only known photograph of Lincoln's body in its coffin. Rear Adm. Charles H. Davis and Gen. Edward D. Townsend stand guard at opposite ends of the coffin amid black drapery, decorative stars, rosettes and marble busts.

War Secretary Edwin Stanton ordered Gen. John A. Dix to seize and destroy the unauthorized photographs. Nine negatives were reportedly confiscated from Gurney & Son, but one print survived. Dix sent the print to Stanton, and it later passed through Stanton's family to John G. Nicolay, Lincoln's former secretary. Ronald Rietveld found it among the Nicolay-Hay papers at the Illinois State Historical Library in 1952, when he was 14.

A separate ambrotype has been promoted as a secret deathbed photograph of Lincoln taken near the Petersen House. Its authenticity remains disputed. Proponents cite facial comparisons and a lip scar, while critics point to the full beard, clothing, photographic format and signs of retouching.

[bathory313]

Lincoln had a precognitive dream about his own death, and lying in state.

[Creefer]

Wow never thought I would actually see a photograph of Lincoln

[Black Knight]

Great post and incredible insight into the great man's last moments. Thanks for sharing!

[URBANXENTITY]

koooooool pic

[female_lo17]

interesting.. John Wilkes booth is my great, great, great, great uncle. lol. my sixth grade teacher was kin to Lincoln and i said john was kin to me and she kinda tripped.

[S. Michael Simms]

I wonder if this is the first photo of a dead person...

[Norwegian1]

[JackN]

[lilyv]

In Wyoming there is a bronze sculpture of his death mask on the top of a little mountain by a rest stop that is bigger than a car, suuuper creepy.