Lincoln: A Photobiography

Lincoln: A Photobiography
Cover of Lincoln: A Photobiography
AuthorRussell Freedman
LanguageEnglish
GenreBiography
PublisherClarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date
1987
Publication placeUnited States
Pages160
ISBN0-395-51848-2
OCLC15053078
LC ClassE457.905 F73 1987

Lincoln: A Photobiography is an illustrated biography of Abraham Lincoln written by Russell Freedman, and published in 1987.[1] The book won the Newbery Medal in 1988. It was the first nonfiction book to do so in 30 years.[2]

The photobiography covers Lincoln's entire life: his childhood, his stint as a lawyer, his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln, as well as his ascent from Congressman to President. The final chapter is an account of Lincoln's assassination and death.

The photographs and drawings that fill the book are drawn from many sources, including the Abraham Lincoln Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and other historical archives. Many of the photographs are portraits of Lincoln. Freedman uses them as a focal point in his narrative. In the opening chapter, he talks about how Lincoln viewed himself and often made fun of his own appearance. Later, Freedman places four portraits of Lincoln on one page to show how much he aged throughout the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln O-36 by Butler, 1860-crop. Freedman uses many portraits of Lincoln throughout his book.
  1. ^ Freedman, Russell (1987). Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0-395-51848-2.
  2. ^ Mitgang, Herbert (24 January 1988). "Children's Books". New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014.