1895 Kurz and Allison Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

This is a large and stirring c. 1895 Louis Kurz and Alexander Allison chromolithograph portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Published thirty years after Lincoln's assassination, Kurz and Allison present the fallen American Civil War leader in a classic pose, thoughtfully staring into the distance wearing in his trademark black tuxedo.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This portrait was created and published by Kurz and Allison c. 1895. Kurz and Allison's publishing firm was based in Chicago, making the sale of a portrait of one of Illinois' most celebrated citizens a logical choice. We note only one cataloged example, at the Library of Congress, which is dated 1875. Given that Kurz and Allison's did not begin operations until 1880, making the 1875 date unlikely. We have located only two other instances when this portrait has appeared on the private market in recent years.