1860 “Abraham Lincoln Elected!” Cover of Harper’s Weekly, Created by Matthew Brady and Winslow Homer

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On offer is a historic front page that stands out as one of the most culturally significant and widely collected … Read more On offer is a historic front page that stands out as one of the most culturally significant and widely collected political issues in American print history. It captures a monumental turning point in the nation's trajectory: Abraham Lincoln's ascendancy to the presidency on the eve of the American Civil War.

ITEM: This is the front page of Harper's Weekly: A Journal of Civilization (Vol. IV, No. 202). physical measurements (15.75"h x 10.5"w) line up perfectly with a standard, untrimmed original sheet from a Harper's Weekly binding folio from 1860. While the actual historic presidential election took place on Tuesday, November 6, 1860, weekly periodicals of the era post-dated their covers to account for manual distribution times. This issue hit newsstands bearing the official date of Saturday, November 10, 1860.

SUBJECT: This engraving is a rare, iconic depiction of a completely clean-shaven Abraham Lincoln. Just weeks after this image circulated, 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote Lincoln a famous letter suggesting he grow whiskers to improve his thin face. By the time he left Springfield for his inauguration in early 1861, he had grown his iconic trademark beard.

PRODUCTION: This specific print represents a cross-generational collaboration between two giants of 19th-century American visual culture. The engraving is directly adapted from a historic photograph captured by famed pioneer photographer Mathew Brady in New York City on February 27, 1860. This was the same day Lincoln delivered his paradigm-shifting speech at the Cooper Union, which catapulted him into national prominence. Lincoln famously noted that "Brady and the Cooper Union Institute made me president." The masterful woodblock transfer for this printing was executed by a 24-year-old freelance illustrator named Winslow Homer, who would later become one of America's greatest fine-art painters.

IMAGERY: Brady intentionally structured the scene to push back against critics who called the frontier lawyer unrefined or awkward. He used formal, neoclassical studio markers to project statesmanship. The draped curtain mirrors traditional European royal portraits, signaling prestige. The pillar, positioned to the right, symbolize structural strength, fortitude, and constitutional integrity. The books and inkwell were placed directly under Lincoln's right hand to emphasize knowledge, legal literacy and intellectual depth. And the rest is history.

The bleeding shadows of text from the reverse side—known in the print world as "show-through" or "ghosting"—provide essential evidence regarding the production method and authenticity of the sheet. This effect is a classic hallmark of historical letterpress or wood-engraving printing methods used in 1860.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Bottom right, “Photographed by Brady” (photo #5). See less