About This Page
This page is part of the Museum of Hoaxes' Hoax Photo Archive, a catalog of photo fakery throughout history. Images are categorized by theme, technique of fakery, and time period.
Hoax Museum Archives
The Martyr Lincoln
Status: Staged using lookalike
Technique of Fakery: False Caption, Staged Scene.
Date and Time Period: late 1860s; (Before 1900)
Themes: Death, Politics
Technique of Fakery: False Caption, Staged Scene.
Date and Time Period: late 1860s; (Before 1900)
Themes: Death, Politics
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Following the assassination of Lincoln, the Army did not allow any pictures to be taken of him in his casket. Therefore, con artists stepped in to fill the demand. The top image was one of many that circulated purporting to show the dead President, but it is fake. Whoever the man is lying down, pretending to be dead, it is not Lincoln.
The bottom image is the only known authentic death photo of Lincoln. It shows him lying in state in New York City Hall, ten days after his assassination. It was taken by Garvey and Son, New York photographers. They later destroyed the original plate and all prints of it, except for one.
The bottom image is the only known authentic death photo of Lincoln. It shows him lying in state in New York City Hall, ten days after his assassination. It was taken by Garvey and Son, New York photographers. They later destroyed the original plate and all prints of it, except for one.
References:
"Rare Photo." (Feb 11, 1967). The Washington Post.
Brugioni, D. (1999). Photo Fakery. Brassey's: 36.
"Rare Photo." (Feb 11, 1967). The Washington Post.
Brugioni, D. (1999). Photo Fakery. Brassey's: 36.
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