Why are there no photographs of Abraham Lincoln actually delivering the Gettysburg address on November 19, 1863?
Answer: The previous speaker Senator Edward Everett spoke for some two hours. The contents of his address are largely forgotten. The photographer there assumed that Lincoln would speak for a lengthy period also and took his time setting up his camera. Lincoln’s speech of 246 words ran for around two minutes. The only record is a blurred photo of Lincoln leaving the podium after his address.
Source: Lincoln by Carl Sandburg; The Civil War by Shelby Foote.
