Abraham Lincoln: An Iconic George Clark Ambrotype Brooch

Pricing & History
Abraham Lincoln: An Iconic George Clark Ambrotype Brooch. Perhaps the most famous of all photographic political badges, this large (2.125" x 2.625") pin-backed brooch features an ambrotype version of the immortal Brady "Cooper Union" Lincoln photo. Ambrotypes preceded tintypes, and utilized a similar emulsion, but applied in reverse to the underside of the glass rather than to the top of a tin surface. Because of their fragility they faded from use in the early 1860s in favor of the more durable tintype.As a matter of interest, we note that we have encountered one matching example for Stephen Douglas and one for John Bell (we have never seen a Breckinridge version). Clearly in the Northeast, where George Clark operated, Lincoln was by far the more popular candidate. Grade: 0, Service: Other, Service No.: 0