Lincoln in Focus: Original Photographs of the President and the Civil War February 5, 2010

Lincoln in Focus: Original Photographs of the President and the Civil War

DENVER — The Byers-Evans House Gallery is pleased to present Lincoln in Focus: Original Photographs of the President and the Civil War, on view beginning Friday, Feb. 5, through March 31. The show corresponds with nationwide sesquicentennial celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s election. The opening reception will be held from 5-9 p.m. during the Golden Triangle Museum District’s First Friday Art Walk on Feb. 5. Living history performers in Civil War regalia will be present for this coming First Friday and the First Friday on March 5.

Among the first of his generation ever to be photographed, Abraham Lincoln was the subject of more photographs than any other person of his day. Lincoln in Focus features more than 30 original photographs of the president, his family and the Civil War taken between 1858 and 1865. The show, drawn from the local private collection of Chris Taylor, provides a view of photography during its formative years—in particular, the wet-plate collodion process. It includes photographs by some of America’s most famous early photographers, Mathew B. Brady and Alexander Gardner.

Upon visiting Mathew Brady’s gallery, Lincoln famously commented, “These cameras are painfully truthful.” Early photographers attempted to portray a truthful likeness and to capture him in a variety of poses and attitudes that illustrated the depth of Lincoln’s character. The photographs in Lincoln in Focus range from the familiar—like the photograph used for the five-dollar bill—to the rarely seen photographs of Lincoln at Antietam. The show also includes the last photograph taken of Lincoln before his assassination.

The Byers-Evans House Museum is a property of History Colorado, the Colorado Historical Society. It is located at 1310 Bannock Street in Denver. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and guided tours are available with admission. The Byers-Evans House Gallery is free. For further information, visit www.coloradohistory.org/be or call (303) 620-4933.

The Byers-Evans House Gallery - Lincoln in Focus: Original Photographs of the President and the Civil War - February 5 through March 31. Opening reception during the First Friday Art Walk, Friday, February 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. Open daily, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sundays. 1310 Bannock Street, Denver, Colorado. Admission to the Byers-Evans House Gallery is free. For further information, visit www.coloradohistory.org/be or call (303) 620-4933.

History Colorado, the Colorado Historical Society, engages people in our State’s heritage through collecting, preserving, and discovering the past and providing perspectives for the future. Established in 1879, History Colorado is headquartered at the Colorado History Museum in Denver. This educational institution contains statewide historical museums and sites, educational programs, volunteer and membership opportunities, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the Stephen H. Hart Research Library, and administers the State Historical Fund—a preservation-based grants program funded by limited stakes gaming tax revenues. Visit www.coloradohistory.org or call (303) 866-3682.