Iconic Abraham Lincoln portraits

On his 207th birthday here's a look at Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and the first president to be photographed extensively. The following images are some of the iconic ones that help document his life, from his early years in politics to his rise to the presidency.

Lincoln is seen here in a photograph by Alexander Gardner, one of the first photographers to capture battlefields during the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln

A copy of a daguerreotype taken by N.H. Shephard in Springfield, IL in 1846, when Lincoln was a Congressman, is displayed.

It is the earliest photograph of Abraham Lincoln known to exist. The original daguerreotype is in the collection of the Library of Congress.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln is shown in a photograph by W.A. Thomson on the day of his debate with Stephen A. Douglas in this October 1858 photo made in Monmouth, Ill.

Abraham Lincoln

Not all depictions of the president are completely authentic. This lithograph circa 1860 turned out to be Abraham Lincoln's head on top of the body of former U.S. Vice President John Calhoun.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, as photographed by Matthew Brady in 1864, as the nation was in the final throes of the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln as seen in this 1864 photo by Anthony Berger at the Mathew Brady Studio, now featured at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln in an undated photo.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln in an undated photo.

Abraham Lincoln

A portrait of President Abraham Lincoln that hangs in the White House, as seen on July 21, 2009. at the White House in Washington, D.C.