He sits proudly, full of dignity, unaware he's about to change the face of American history.
A photograph of Abraham Lincoln, taken in 1860, is on display in the UNM Art Museum as part of an exhibition called "We the People."
The exhibition includes photographs from UNM's collection, said Sara Otto-Diniz, a consultant for the museum.
Otto-Diniz said she and Michele Penhall, UNM Art Museum's curator of prints and photographs, put the exhibition together to encourage people to take part in their civic duties, such as voting.
Otto-Diniz said the exhibition is a reminder of important past U.S. presidential elections.
The images convey the ideals of democracy and its inherent struggles, she said. They also illustrate American history, she said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Along with the snapshot of a young, hopeful Honest Abe is a preserved photograph of former slave and statesman Frederick Douglass, who ran for vice president in 1872 on the Equal Rights Party ticket.
Penhall said equal rights issues are clearly illustrated in the exhibition.
She said racism was a key issue in Lincoln and Douglass' time and that the photographs capture that tension.
"Photography opens a window into history and invites us to reflect on our past," the curators said in the exhibition guide. "This most democratic of art forms - in existence for most of our 232-year history - expressed and continues to frame the hopes and dreams of the common man much as the authors of our Constitution penned their own hopes and dreams for democracy."
UNM media arts major Isaac Ortiz said the exhibition filled him with astonishment and awe.
It's important to speak out to ensure that the U.S. continues to fight for equal rights, he said.
"The times have changed since back then, but not the same old problems," he said. "We are still dealing with issues that were around even back then, and I, for one, want to see some change."
"We the People"
UNM Art Museum in Popejoy Hall
Through Dec. 21
For more information, visit UnmArtMuseum.unm.edu.
