ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S SHAVING MIRROR: EX-LATTIMER COLLECTION.

A very good looking and well preserved three-piece folding shaving mirror once belonging to Abraham Lincoln and passed to the Sparrow family, from the Dr. John K. Lattimer collection. Consists of two wood-backed vertical oval mirrors hinged to a central horizontal oval. This comes with a handwritten letter of provenance from Helen Ranney of Lincoln, Ill.: “the three-piece French Mirror belonged to Lincoln and was given to his relation a Mrs. Sparrow and was in Lincolns family many years- Mrs. Sparrow was related to my mother in law Mary Sparrow…”. Helen Ranney (1899-1986) was married to Jesse E. Ranney (1900-1970,) son of Mary Sparrow Ranney (1886-1906.) The original recipient was likely her mother, Hannah Ann Moorman Sparrow (1841-1918.) Mrs. Ranney’s letter dates about 1974 and indicates her husband received the mirror about fifty years earlier. Lincoln’s maternal grandmother, Lucy Hanks, married into the Sparrow family in 1790, as did her sister in 1796. Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks (1784-1818) was often known as Nancy Sparrow. CONDITION: Excellent. Paperwork: Letter of Provenance