Excellent 2.25 x 3.5 carte-de-visite portrait, signed in brown ink as president, “Andrew Johnson,” circa 1867. “My Policy” is penned in another hand in the blank area above the president’s head, most likely referring to Johnson’s unpopular reconstruction agenda. On March 27, 1866, President Johnson vetoed the civil rights bill which made freedmen citizens without the right to vote. The president felt the bill interfered with the rights of the states; nonetheless the bill was passed over his veto. On June 16, 1866, the 14th amendment to the constitution, which contained the principle of the civil rights bill, was proposed, disapproved by Johnson, but ratified and declared in force July 1868. In June 1866, the Republicans in Congress brought forward their plan of reconstruction, which was called the “congressional plan” versus the president’s plan which he spoke of as “my policy.” “My policy” would have left the decision of how to cope with emancipation completely in the hands of white Southerners, a policy Johnson defended even years later. Although there is no backstamp, the image was taken by Alexander Gardner, whose photographs of the Civil War are among the most memorable images taken. Gardner began his photography career working for Mathew Brady, but as Brady’s eyesight worsened, Gardner did more and more of Brady’s work and eventually ran Brady’s Washington D.C. gallery for him. In fine condition, with small abrasion between first and last name of signature, and a bit of scattered trivial soiling. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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