The following is a verbatim HTML Transcript of an original
letter
Lincoln Picture
Studio
Lloyd
Ostendorf, Artist
225
Lookout Drive, Dayton Ohio 45419
February 12, 1995
Dear Jim:
I thank you for the promotion to
"professor"....but I am an artist who writes about Lincoln, and has
drawn and painted Lincoln since I was 12 years old...must hold a world's record
by now, in the thousands, of Lincoln illustrations I have done.
Two Lincoln universities have awarded me honorary
Doctorates, but I do not have an earned degree.
I enclose a brochure depicting some samples of my
work, and a flyer concerning my book, "Lincoln in Photographs".....
perhaps you have this one.
Now with that out of the way, I must say that
your Lincoln sculptor work is absolutely delightful and the most faithful
Lincoln reproductions I have seen in decades. It has always surprised me
that with the aid of the two life masks, Volk and Mills, some artists have
failed to really catch Lincoln in their work. Both of your Lincoln heads are wonderfully
well done, life like, accurate, and truly Lincoln. I favor the beardless
slightly over the presidential bearded Lincoln. Lincoln must have weighed about
25 pounds more as a lawyer, and the stress of the presidency caused him to weigh
much less, and it showed in his photographs to some extent.
Actually, the bronze Mills mask which you used
at the museum in Ft. Wayne is a casting from the rubber mold from my original
plaster cast. The first cast out of Clark Mills mold, made on February
11th and 12th 1865. I obtained it many years ago from the Hay family who
received the original head from Fisk Mills, son of the sculptor.
I use my masks as models for my illustrations,
set them up with the lighting I want, and work from "life."
Lincoln is very obliging and holds still for me... more than I can say of other
sitters.
Thanks for sharing pictures of your work, and it
is a pleasure to get acquainted with a real Lincoln sculptor... Some sculptors
Lincoln faces seem to reflect their own facial characteristics.
Perhaps someday we can talk at length.
Congratulations on your accomplishments, and best wishes to you in your
profession.
Sincerely,
Lloyd Ostendorf
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