(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023)
Taking an uncharacteristically informal photograph of Abraham Lincoln reading to his son Tad in 1864 as its starting point, Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is a uniquely intimate depiction of America’s sixteenth president as a master communicator, father, and healer of a divided nation.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
“A provocative [biography] that presents Lincoln as . . . early adapter of new technology, being one of the first figures to understand the power of photography…A fresh angle offering yet another reason to regard Lincoln as our presidential G.O.A.T.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is a wonderful way to get to know our sixteenth president. Leonard Marcus brings deep historical knowledge to the story of Lincoln’s rise in the world, and he pays close attention to the way photography helped facilitate that rise. The happy result is a combination of imagery and writing that presents a most compelling portrait of our greatest president.” —Ted Widmer, author of Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington
