Abraham Lincoln Life Mask (Volk)

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In the spring of 1860, renowned Chicago sculptor Leonard W. Volk discovered that Abraham Lincoln was engaged in a prolonged court case within the city's boundaries and extended an invitation to the prominent lawyer and statesman to sit for him. The two individuals had previously crossed paths in 1858, during the intense Lincoln-Douglas senatorial debates, where Volk was working on a statue of Douglas and requested permission to also capture his opponent's likeness. Lincoln agreed but unfortunately found himself too preoccupied to fulfill Volk's request at that time. As Lincoln began to emerge as a leading prospect for the Republican presidential nomination in 1860, Volk once again approached him with the proposal.