Signature and Inscription / Print by DAVIS, David (1815-86)

This Illinois jurist and early colleague of Abraham Lincoln served as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1862-77) and as U.S. Senator from Illinois (1877-83); he acted as Lincoln's campaign manager at the Republican National Convention in 1860 and helped orchestrate his nomination to the presidency. Bold and handsome "David Davis / U.S. Senate / Bloomington / Illinois / July 1877" penned in brown ink on a heavy stock 4" X 2½" card. Very good. Tiny archivally-closed tear at center of bottom edge (slightly affecting the last "7" of the date). Accompanied by a fine and outstanding 8" X 10" black-and-white print of an ink-and-wash artist's rendering by the premiere Lincoln artist Lloyd Ostendorf, a charming scene showing Davis in horse-drawn carriage chatting with Lincoln in front of a large brick structure. Caption at bottom reads "Lawyer Abraham Lincoln Conferring With Judge David Davis Near the McLean County Courthouse, Bloomington, Ill. 1846." At lower right, Ostendorf signs this print boldly in blue ballpoint. This Dayton, Ohio commercial artist (1920-2000) became the foremost artist interpreter of Abraham Lincoln and his circle, illustrating every facet of Lincoln's life in various media over several decades; he authored and/or illustrated several Lincoln books, such as the 1963 classic "Lincoln in Photographs: An Album of Every Known Pose" (with Charles Hamilton). A superb Davis signature dated several months after he was sworn in as senator illustrated with a choice and appropriate image signed by its artist.