Auction Name: 2026 March 18 The Dan Madsen Collection of Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain Memorabilia Americana & Political Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 43014

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/6335*43014

Abraham Lincoln: Colorful Allegorical Chromolithograph of Lincoln Writing the Emancipation Proclamation. A rare 17 3/4" x 21 3/4" chromolithograph published in 1864 by M. Depuy of Pittsburgh, titled: "President Lincoln, Writing the Proclamation of Freedom, January 1st 1863." Lithographed and printed in colors by Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co. of Cincinnati after a painting by David Gilmour Blythe.

Rich with provocative allegorical detail, the image presents Lincoln seated in his study as he drafts the Emancipation Proclamation. Light enters the room through a curtain fashioned from the American flag, while a bust of Andrew Jackson rests prominently on the mantel. A maul lies across a map of the United States, and letters, dispatches, and envelopes are scattered about, evoking the burdens of wartime leadership. Hanging on the wall are symbols of authority and morality, including the Presidential Oath, a key, and the scales of Justice. A bust of James Buchanan suspended by his neck appears in the background, and symbols associated with the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and the Catholic Church are dispersed about the room.

One of the most singular and unusual prints issued during the Lincoln presidency, replete with symbolism. Heritage has previously sold only one other example, which realized $4,500 in 2022.

Condition: Some toning and creasing around the border. Evidence of repairs to several separations and minor instances of loss near the edges. Light, scattered foxing. Pencil annotation at the lower right on the recto and the lower left on the verso. Mounting remnants on the verso.

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