Fooling the Lincolns.

• Position: Mary Todd Lincold forged painting - Art - Brief article

The story's a lie, but here's how it goes: Mary Todd Lincoln commissioned artist Francis Carpenter to paint her portrait as a surprise for her husband; but after President Abraham Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, Carpenter instead gave it away. Now here's the truth: A trickster named Lew Bloom concocted both the story and the painting in the 1920s. Bloom painted Mrs. Lincoln's image over a painting of an unknown woman, and added convincing details like a brooch with President Lincoln's photo on it. The portrait fooled the Lincoln family, which paid Bloom about $2,000 for it, and Illinois officials who hung it in the governor's mansion for more than 30...