[Lincoln, Abraham] Inaugural Message of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States

Rare Broadside of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

No place, March 4, 1861. Printed broadside, in three columns, containing the first Inaugural Address of President Lincoln. 23 3/4 x 9 3/8 in. (603 x 241 mm). Creasing from old folds, light foxing to margins and text, a few small ink stains. Not in Monaghan

President Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural address was delivered on March 4, 1861, on the eve of the Civil War. Primarily addressed to the people of the South, Lincoln hoped to allay the rising tensions over slavery, and emphasized his determination to preserve the Union, while appealing for restraint from potential hostilities. Lincoln concludes with his famous plea, "We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory stretching from every battle-field and patriot's grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely as they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

The type of this example matches the "Extra" issue published by The Chicago Tribune (dated March 4, 1861) but does not include their masthead. Due to printing errors, the top two lines of the middle column are wanting, as well as the first word in the third column.

Rare. According to RBH, only two similar examples of this printing have come to auction, one with a masthead and one without. Another example, also attributed to The Chicago Tribune, is held at the Library of Congress.

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Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Printed and Manuscript Americana

[Lincoln, Abraham] Inaugural Message of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States

Printed and Manuscript Americana

[Lincoln, Abraham] Inaugural Message of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States

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