"First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation" 1866 in original frame

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"First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation" 1866 in original frame:
$1620.00

"The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation Before the Cabinet" 1866.
ORIGINAL PAINTED BY F.B. CARPENTERENGRAVED BY A.H. RITCHIE.Pictured are : EDWIN M. STANTON, SALMON P. CHASE, PRESIDENT LINCOLN, GIDEON WELLES, CALEB SMITH, WILLIAM H. SEWARD, MONTGOMERY BLAIR, and EDWARD BATES
...and an empty chair (story to follow)

An Engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie after the original oil painting by Francis Bicknell Carpenter

On July 22, 1862, Lincoln first read The Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet at the White House, however it was not publicly announced until September of that year and became law on January 1, 1863. This was the first legal step toward the elimination of slavery in all of the United States.

In 1864, Francis Bicknell Carpenter was invited to the White House and commissioned to paint this event. For four months he lived at the White House, and the State Dining Room was given to him as a studio. In 1866 Alexander Hay Ritchie produced and engraving of that oil painting.

Today the original oil painting hangs in the US Capitol Building.

For sale here is an original engraving of this historic event. It is in very good, age-appropriate condition, with some foxing and toning. The wood frame (walnut?) is in excellent condition.All figures and details are clear and crisp. Information underneath the scene includes the name of the painter of the original oil, (Carpenter) and the engraver (Ritchie) and the statement "From the original painted at the White House in 1864."

An interesting side story -TheEmpty Chair

No one can dispute the enormous historical implications of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, but little is known of the story attributed to the empty chair.

I found it extremely odd that there should be an empty chair at the table for recording such a momentous event. And, after much research, I discovered many allusions to a woman - ANNA EMMA CARROLL. The Carroll family name was famous from the founding of this country, from the Maryland Grant (now the state of Maryland) and her grandfather was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. But a famous woman from the Carroll family? It seems, in fact, that she played a critical and major role in the military and strategic planning and execution of the Civil War. She was an advisor and confidante of Lincoln’s throughout the war and was well known and respected by the President's military and diplomatic staffs. Many accounts refer to her as “the woman who helped to win the Civil War.”

As it turns out the empty chair, the portfolio and the maps, seen at the bottom right of the table,alludeto her role in assessing the feasibility of a Union military campaign down the Mississippi River, among many other strategic and tactical contributions.

But why, then, was the chair empty? One source said that Mary Todd Lincoln demanded that Carroll not be included in the picture. Historical accounts say that Mrs. Lincoln was jealous of Ms. Carroll and resented her access to and time with the President.Now, 150 years later, the question still remains open.