Fido's story, at right, accompanies each piece.
Click the image to zoom in and read the text.
Framing for each “Lincoln’s Farewell to Fido” piece is unique. Please visit our Etsy shop by clicking the image below to see our current framing style:
"Lincoln's Farewell to Fido" Shadow Box
It is February 11, 1861, and President-elect Abraham Lincoln will shortly board a train at the Springfield, Illinois, station, bound for Washington, DC. As he leaves his house, he kneels in a parting gesture to his loyal dog, Fido, who will not be joining the Lincoln family in Washington.
Fido’s well-being has weighed on Lincoln’s mind, as he knows the dog would not
be happy amid the noise and bustle of the capital city. So Lincoln arranged a
temporary home for Fido in Springfield with the family of John Roll, whose sons
were friends of the Lincoln boys.
Among several conditions the Lincolns set for
Fido’s care, they required that Roll let Fido into the house whenever he asked
to come in. And they gave Roll the dog’s favorite horsehair sofa to help him
feel comfortable in his new home.
No doubt both dog and master hoped to be reunited one day. But Lincoln would be assassinated in April 1865. He
never saw Fido again.
Our shadow box depicts silhouettes of Lincoln and Fido
in the foyer of the Lincoln home in Springfield. The décor reflects furnishings
in the current restoration of the house.
- Overall dimensions: 9” square, 1 ½” deep
- The back is finished.
- Hanging hardware is attached.
