Artist/Maker
Unidentified artist
Artist/Maker
Fowler & Wells
(1838–ca. 1946)
Depicted
Abraham Lincoln
(American, 1809 – 1865)
Life mask of Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
1860
Painted plaster
Overall: 10 3/4 x 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. ( 27.3 x 21 x 15.9 cm )
Purchase
1946.349
This cast was part of the Phrenological Museum of Fowler & Wells, which opened in New York City in 1842. Brothers Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887) and Lorenzo Niles Fowler (1811-1896) and their business associate Samuel Roberts Wells (1820-1875) were noted phrenologists who read heads to understand the subject's "temperament." Their Phrenological Cabinet displaying casts, skulls, and charts became a popular fixture in the city.
DescriptionLife mask after the original cast by Leonard Volk.MarkingsPaper label: "Lincoln mask / 5 - 78"
InscribedInscribed on interior in pencil: "A. Lincoln."
ClassificationsSCULPTURE