The photograph shows the president's rail car at the Alexandria, Virginia station.  It was probably taken in January, 1865. It was used as Lincoln's funeral car but he never rode in it in life.
<p>"Constructed over a period of two years at the U.S. Military Rail Road car shops in Alexandria, Virginia, the car, named the United States, was built as a luxurious vehicle intended for use by the living Lincoln. Although the presidential car had been completed in February prior to Lincoln’s 1865 inauguration, he never rode in it or even saw it. The elegant interior, finished with walnut and oak, and upholstered with crimson silk, contained three rooms—a stateroom, a drawing room, and a parlor or dining room. A corridor ran the length of the car and gave access to each room. The exterior was painted chocolate brown, hand-rubbed to a high sheen, and on both sides of the car hung identical oval paintings of an eagle and the coat of arms of the United States. As soon as [Secretary of War Edwin] Stanton knew that Lincoln’s body would be carried home to Illinois by railroad, he authorized the U.S.M.R.R. to modify the car, decorate it with symbols of mourning, and build two catafalques so that it could accommodate the coffins of the president and his son." - Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln’s Corpse by James L. Swanson
</p><p>I modified the original Library of Congress high resolution TIFF Photo using Photoshop (Unsharp Mask filter + Auto Levels adjust).
No known restrictions to publication.
</p>
There is an interesting article here about an investigation to determine the actual color of the car.
Ken Redmond
CC BY-SA 2.0
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