Abraham Lincoln and His Family Paper Dolls in Full Color

by Tom Tierney

Here is a wonderful paper doll tribute to one of the greatest American presidents and his family, a meticulously detailed re-creation of the mid-nineteenth-century clothing worn by Abraham Lincoln; his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln; and three of their four Robert Todd, William Wallace ("Willie"), and Thomas ("Tad"). Their second child, Edward Baker, died at the age of four, and is not pictured here.
Included are five dolls and 32 authentic costumes, carefully researched and rendered with extraordinary skill and attention to every nuance of fabric and style. Among the costumes
President a white frock coat with white straw hat, worn during the Lincoln-Dougles debates; a formal cutaway jacket with claw-hammer tails, white tie and vest, and familiar stovepipe hat; the suit Lincoln wore when he gave the Gettysburg Address, including the legendary fringed shawl over his shoulders, and more.
Mary Todd an evening gown of gold silk, trimmed in gold lace, satin bows and braid; a walking ensemble of red, gold, and turquoise brocaded silk with a black velvet vest and shawl; a military-style cape with gold bouclé epaulettes atop a navy silk traveling dress, and others. Robert, Willie, and Tad Among the outfits worn by the three boys, Tad sports a canvas coat with a knitted-wool lining and a black bearskin hat; one of Robert's costumes is a Chesterfield-style coat with a velvet collar and checked woolen trousers; Willie is resplendent in a formal jacket of wine velvet with a gold closure in the front, black wool trousers with a gold stripe, and a soft velour wide-brimmed hat.
These and many other colorful ensembles recall the clothing and style of the first family in the 1860s. Paper doll enthusiasts, lovers of Americana and period fashion, and students of American history will find much inspiration and enjoyment in this realistic and historically accurate collection.

32 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1989

About the author

Tom Tierney was a prolific creator of paper doll books. He was trained as an artist and worked as an illustrator for department stores before turning to paper dolls in the 1970s.

"Meticulously drawn and colored, and annotated with historical information, Mr. Tierney’s paper-doll books are not just for children — and some are not for children at all. His aim, he often said, was to contribute to the visual literature of costume history," noted his New York Times obituary.

"Pope John Paul II, shown a copy of Mr. Tierney’s book about him by a visitor to the Vatican, blessed it and asked where he might get one of his own."