Discovery Presents Hidden Lincoln Photograph in ‘The Lost Lincoln,’ Preview
A remarkable special is coming to Discovery, a bit macabre and gruesome in its nature. A hidden photograph of Abraham Lincoln, beloved 16th President of the United States, is found and examined by experts on new special The Lost Lincoln.
He was dead at the time the photo was allegedly taken.
What we know is that the murder of Abraham Lincoln was the most shocking event in American history. He was by all accounts a unifier, and the most beloved president of all time.
Lincoln worked hard to bring the country together during the Civil War era and after, and his ephemera and personal items are rare. There are, by expert accounts, only 130 known images of him.
Check out our interview with Whitny Braun here!
Now, Discovery presents one more, a post-mortem photo that is examined by historians.
What happens on Lost Lincoln?
This documentary chronicles an investigation by professional authenticator, Dr. Whitny Braun to reveal evidence uncovering whether a newly found secret photograph could be the 131st and final image of President Lincoln, taken after his infamous assassination.
The possibility that this post-mortem image exists which by expert accounts was taken secretly of President Lincoln immediately after he was shot in the theater. This image has been kept under wraps and undiscovered for 150 years.
Discovery says:
Considered by many to be our country’s greatest leader and one of the most beloved presidents in history, there are only 130 known images of Abraham Lincoln on record. Credited with ending slavery and leading the nation out of one of our darkest periods, Lincoln’s life and legacy were cut short that fateful night at Ford’s Theater in 1865. Today, only limited items and a selection of known and verified photographs remain of the 16th president. But, is it possible another image exists? One that was taken of the president in secret after he was shot and has remained hidden for more than 150 years?
Experts interviewed by producers claim there’s an image alleged to be of Lincoln, a photo which is not supposed to exist. But if experts can verify the authenticity, and proven to be real the photo will be considered the most valuable historical find of our time.
But questions loom: How could something this significant go under the radar for a century and a half?
How did an illicit image of a dead president’s body ever come to be and how did it remain a secret?
The long road to discovery
Dr. Braun’s journey to authenticate takes us from Lincoln’s birthplace in Illinois to halls of the National Archives to the scene of his last moments alive in Ford’s Theater and the Petersen House.
April 14th, 1865 was a tragic day, and the hours spent at Petersen House where President Lincoln would ultimately die from the gunshot fired at him remains shrouded in mystery.
Discovery says:
After learning that an alleged photo of President Lincoln, taken in those final hours, exists, Dr. Braun, a professor of bioethics at Loma Linda University who has authenticated innumerable historical items in her tenure, sets out to prove the image’s authenticity using innovative forensics and facial recognition software, as well as in-sights from renowned historians and Lincoln biographers and scholars.
Executives behind the documentary
Emmy-nominated production company, Unrealistic Ideas’ Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, and Archie Gips are executive producers.
Paul Sadowski, Jason Cohen, and Whitny Braun also serve as executive producers.
Co-executive producer is Javier Quintana. Jason Cohen is the director.
For Discovery Channel: Howard Swartz and Igal Svet are executive producers and, Joe Mazzeo is associate producer.
The Lost Lincoln premieres Sunday, October 4 at 9pm ET/PT on Discovery as part of Undiscovered, the new Discovery documentary strand that explores some of the greatest mysteries, potentially rewriting the history books along the way.
