1964 Lincoln National Life Insurance Vintage Advertisement
In 1964, the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana, ran this full-page magazine advertisement built around a single painting: Abraham Lincoln sitting for the photographer Mathew Brady, rendered by the illustrator C. C. Beall. The headline reads, "The image of his greatness still lives with us." It is an advertisement that sells trust rather than a product — and a compact lesson in how mid-century American insurance companies borrowed history to do it. Beall signed the painting, and the ad names him as "the famous artist, C. C. Beall." No policy terms appear. No premiums are quoted. Dating is by evidence: the panel reads "©1964 L.N.L." The magazine is identified as The Saturday Evening Post via the facing editorial's reference to "The Post, Nov. 23, 1963" — exact issue date unconfirmed. The ad offered a free full-color reproduction "ideal for framing" — collectors should distinguish framed premiums from the original magazine page.
Category: Financial Services
Year: 1964
Rarity Class: B
Paper & Print Condition
Paper: Original magazine-page stock. Print: Halftone offset lithography; under the loupe the printing screen breaks Beall's brushwork into dots, yet the direction of the strokes survives. Condition: Very good — condition rating 8/10.
Provenance & Rarity
Source: From the collection of Ronin Naodhinsuk; photographed by the author for The Record Institute archive. Publication: This full-page advertisement was documented in its original magazine issue, facing the editorial page. Dated 1964 by the printed copyright line "©1964 L.N.L." The magazine is identified as The Saturday Evening Post by the editorial reference on the facing page ("The Post, Nov. 23, 1963" — exact issue date unconfirmed). Rarity: Class B — Rare / Hard to Find.
Rarity & Condition Summary
Grade: Very good (8/10) · Rarity: Class B — Rare / Hard to Find · Dating: 1964, confirmed by the printed copyright line.
