Famous Abraham Lincoln Portrait Unveiled at Daley Center in Chicago

A high-quality reproduction of a famous Abraham Lincoln photograph was unveiled Tuesday at the Daley Center in honor of the state’s bicentennial.

ISBA President James F. McCluskey participated in the ceremony, which was presided over by Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans. The ceremony was part of a statewide initiative to place framed photographs of the 16th U.S. president in courthouses in each of Illinois' 102 counties.

“Today we honor one of our most famous attorneys, Abraham Lincoln, who stood for the principles of justice, equality, and liberty – all qualities that the ISBA faithfully upholds,” said McCluskey. “This photograph of Lincoln was taken in Springfield on the cusp of his transition from attorney to national leader, and indeed, in the years immediately following, he would become a true exemplar of American leadership.”

The photograph was taken by well-known photographer Alexander Hesler on June 3, 1860, for Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign. Printed on canvas, the image of the beardless Lincoln is encased in a richly stained wood frame and measures 30-inches wide by 40-inches tall.

The permanent installation is made possible by donations from the Illinois Judges Association (IJA), the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and their respective foundations – the Illinois Judges Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation.

The four organizations are partnering with the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS), which owns the glass-plate positives of the Hesler-Lincoln portrait.