John H. Littlefield

Painter and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. Born in Cicero, Illinois and supposedly work in Lincoln's law office in 1858-60. With Lincoln’s nomination, Littlefield began stumping across the state on Lincoln’s behalf. Littlefield made over 60 speeches, and in 1862 he was given a place in the Treasury Department. After Lincoln's assassination, he painted a death-bed scene which was than photographed by John Goldin. In 1866 he painted a portrait of Lincoln which he had engraved by Henry Gugler, taking three years to engrave, and then self publish. Today this portrait is best remembered for being used as the basis for the five dollar bill.