Lincoln Home Historic Furnishings Report

SECTION D: EVIDENCE OF ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS (continued)

PICTORIAL EVIDENCE OF FIRST FLOOR FURNISHINGS

On March 9, 1861, three drawings of the new President's former home, the Lincoln family's parlors and sitting room, appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. See illustrations 1 thru 3. These sketches show the appearance of the rooms during the Lincolns' last winter in Springfield. Many of the details in the illustrations compare well with documented surviving Lincoln furnishings, such as the Volk Bust shown in the front parlor, or the table from the Lincoln Memorial Collection, also shown in the front parlor. The wallpaper, carpeting, and draperies, however, are not as clearly depicted; it is supposed that the patterns have been simplified.

In 1865, five stereoscope views were made of the home's interior as it appeared during the Lincoln funeral held in Springfield. [37] (See illustrations 4 through 6 in Bearss, Report LIHO.) Mr. and Mrs. Lucien Tilton had been renting the house since the Lincolns left Springfield, and most of the furnishings in the 1865 illustrations belonged to them. A newspaper account at the time of Lincoln's funeral (see p. 38) and the large number of furnishings which were purchased from the Lincolns by other Springfield residents indicate that the Tiltons purchased very little furniture from the Lincolns. Lincoln's secretary, bed, a marbletopped table, a whatnot, and a chamber set are the only items which the account specified they purchased. Both the secretary and bed appear in the stereoscope views.

Although these views were taken four years after the Lincolns left Springfield, it is possible that the wallpaper and floor coverings remained unchanged. (See pp. 145-150 for separate discussions of wallpaper and floor coverings.) The carpet pattern in the stereoscope view is very similar to the pattern shown in the Leslie's Illustrated 1861 sketches of the parlors.

In the William Waud Collection at the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, are three drawings of the Lincoln home and one of the Globe Tavern also made at the time of Lincoln's funeral. [38] See illustrations 4, 5, 6, and 7. One shows the front and back parlors, draped in honor of the funeral; two are unidentified. The placement of windows and doors, however, suggests that illustration 5 is the front guest bedroom or downstairs sitting room and that illustration 6 is Lincoln's bedroom.