"Getting One's Ducks In A Row . . . . again . . . "

One of the pleasures of this bicentennial project has been the background research on Abraham Lincoln and his presidency. For instance, I never knew that there is no photograph of Abraham Lincoln with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Yes, there are composite paintings of the couple, but no photograph.

Another image that doesn't exist is a photo of Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address. It has been reported that the photographer at Gettysburg had assumed he had ample time to set up for the photo. After all, the previous speaker, Edward Everett, spoke for two hours. Plenty of prep time . . . right?

Little did he know that the window of opportunity was only three minutes. The Gettysburg Address -- hailed for its elegant brevity -- was delivered in 1863, well before our point-and-shoot camera technology. The poor photographer was still setting up his camera as Lincoln recited the closing words -- "shall not perish from the earth" -- and sat down. Oh-oh. (I'm not sure of the authenticity of the story; it may be apocryphal, but it's a fascinating anecdote.)

I wonder how the photographer's boss reacted when he heard the news. We've all had bad days at work but . . .

This is the only known photo of President Lincoln (he's in the center) at Gettysburg -- taken upon his arrival at the burial ground. And here's an illustration of Lincoln's delivery.

Well, here's a photo that exists. It's Harley, the Spokesdog at Where Victoria's Angels Stitch. He was on hand when I delivered the sampler for framing. Harley's taking a well-deserved dog nap -- it's tough being a spokesdog!

WVAS is a beautiful family-run needlework shop in Clifton, New Jersey. Tawny and Don, the proprietors, are the bomb! We refer to WVAS as New York City's official cross stitch shop -- because there's nothing like it in NYC. If you're in the New York/New Jersey area, please drop by the shop. You'll love the homey atmosphere and wide variety of products.

Have a good Thursday eve. I'm going to recharge the batteries in my camera. :)

Until next time . . . ciao!