Emancipation Proclamation Inkstand

Lincoln, Abraham · mid 19th century

The brass inkstand was from the desk of Major Thomas Eckert in the War Department Telegraph Office. At the time, the War Department handled all the president’s telegrams and Lincoln frequently stopped by to obtain the latest news of the war. Lincoln often used the major’s desk and according to Eckert worked on an early draft of the Emancipation Proclamation while sitting there in the summer of 1862.