ABRAHAM LINCOLN CIVIL WAR LETTER MRS. BIXBY 5 DEAD c.1891 UNRECORDED FACSIMILE

Description: UNRECORDED VARIANT OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S FAMOUS“BIXBY LETTER”19th CENTURY LITHOGRAPH FACSIMILE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S FAMOUS “BIXBY LETTER” OFFERING CONDOLENCES TO MRS. BIXBY, WHO LINCOLN MISTAKENLY BELIEVED HAD LOST 5 CHILDREN IN THE CIVIL WAR. Printed with the “Compliments of The State Bank,” in New York by Dickinson & Sons Lithographers, [No Date, but circa 1890s]. First facsimile edition thus, apparently an unrecorded variant [see below]. Single sheet of watermarked paper (“State Street Bank”), measuring 12.5 x 9.25 inches, lithographed on one side only. Reproduces, in printed facsimile, Abraham Lincoln’s famous “Bixby Letter,” all within intricate decorative border, and pictorial header with portrait of Lincoln. Near fine condition, with faint creasing at old folds. Quite rare; absent from the trade and auction records. I couldn't even find an example on google images. Worldcat lists numerous, similar 19th century facsimiles, but does not appear to not this publisher's variant.This appears to be an unrecorded variant of this much studied letter, which is known in two other facsimiles, Michael F. Tubin’s 1891 facsimile, and The Huber Museum facsimile.“The Bixby letter” is a brief, consoling message sent by President Abraham Lincoln in November 1864 to Lydia Parker Bixby, a widow living in Boston, Massachusetts, who was thought to have lost five sons in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Along with the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address, the letter has been praised as one of Lincoln's finest written works and is often reproduced in memorials, media, and print. Controversy surrounds the recipient, the fate of her sons, and the authorship of the letter. Bixby's character has been questioned (including rumored Confederate sympathies), at least two of her sons survived the war, and the letter was possibly written by Lincoln's assistant private secretary, John Hay. The letter, despite its complex history, continues to echo in recent history-- having been read in the film Saving 'Private Ryan," before the order was given to find and send home Private Ryan after his three brothers were killed died in battle. On September 11, 2011, former U.S. President George W. Bush read the Bixby letter during the memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center site on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. We have been selling on eBay for 2 decades. We pack carefully, ship quickly, and have thousands of happy customers. Our feedback speaks for itself, so purchase with confidence.

Price: 675 USD

Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

End Time: 2024-01-14T17:03:35.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7.49 USD