1865 Lincoln Second Inaugural Silk Ribbon
March 1865 - 5 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches
Silk ribbon with albumen photograph.
 
A scarce souvenir ribbon issued for Abraham Lincoln's Second Inauguration in March 1865. The pale blue silk ribbon retains its original straight pin and is mounted with an applied albumen photograph of Lincoln after the celebrated portrait by Alexander Gardner (O-116), taken in February 1865, just weeks before the inauguration. The photograph is bordered in red and remains notably crisp, displaying excellent tonal range and fine detail.
 
Produced to commemorate Lincoln's final inauguration only weeks before the end of the Civil War and little more than a month before his assassination, ribbons of this type rank among the most evocative campaign and inaugural textiles of the period.
 
Condition: Wrinkling and moderate toning throughout the silk ribbon, consistent with age. The albumen portrait remains exceptionally well preserved with strong contrast and clarity. Very good overall.