As a friend, adviser, editor, and for a while unofficial agent, Paul Aron shepherded this book from it earliest stages. He also sat through more diner lunches than anyone should have to, listening patiently to all things Lincoln and Gardner. My agent, Doe Coover, showed me what was interesting about the project; she continues to give guidance and encouragement with intelligence and good cheer. Frank Goodyear, codirector of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, opened the photographic riches of the National Portrait Gallery when he served as curator there. I learned much from his deep knowledge of nineteenth-century photography, which he shared with a generous enthusiasm.
I have been privileged to work with two very fine editors. From its early stages, Alessandra Lusardi guided the project with grace, vision, and encouragement. Liz Van Hoose brought sympathy and insight to her rigorous editing of the manuscript. Bob Scholnick and Simon Joyce read portions of the book, and shared their own work as members of our informal writing group. Robert Burgoyne read material as well; his writing and ideas continue to enrich my own. Ed Folsom and Kenneth Price helped focus my thinking about Walt Whitman. I am grateful to the St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme for giving me the opportunity to present an early version of chapter 2. Jennifer Blanchard, executive director of the Pejepscot Historical Society in Brunswick, Maine, offered a stimulating venue for presenting an early version of chapter 3.
Like anyone writing about the past, I owe debts to the staffs of a number of research institutions. Carol Johnson, curator of photography at the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, offered early direction. The entire staff exemplifies the ideals of public service and intellectual custodianship. Alex Mann, Brock Curator of American art, Chrysler Museum of Art, gave generous access to the museum’s collection of Gardner images. Amy Barton, assistant curator of the U.S. Senate Commission on Art, supplemented a visit to Sarah Fisher Ames’s bust of Lincoln with a behind-the-scenes tour that gave me valuable insight into the function of public art. I am also grateful to the staffs of the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery of Art, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, the Allen County Public Library and Indiana State Museum, and the still picture reference team at the National Archives and Records Administration. In countless ways, the librarians and staff of Swem Library at the College of William & Mary, and in particular in the Special Collections Research Center, have proved themselves valuable colleagues.
My mother, Eleanor, died just as my “Lincoln project” became a book; it is dedicated to her. It is also dedicated to my wife, Joyce Lowry, whose love, patience, and support made possible every word. Margaret Lowry provided able research assistance; she and her sister Elizabeth Lowry continue to show me what it means to engage the world we live in with energy, commitment, and imagination.