Lincoln Monument at Grand Army Plaza, ca.1894, v1973.5.3431; Brooklyn photograph and illustration collection, ARC.202; Brooklyn Historical Society.
In this photograph from the late 1800s, two unidentified girls pose in front of the monument to Abraham Lincoln that once stood at the north end of Grand Army Plaza. The statue was dedicated in 1869, making it the first statue of Lincoln to be erected in the Union. In 1896, the statue was moved to the Concert Grove in Prospect Park. Reportedly, Lincoln’s statue is soon to be moved back to Grand Army Plaza, facing south, a somewhat controversial decision.
In the background of the photograph is the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, which was unveiled in 1892. You may notice that it looks a little less impressive than the arch today – the statues atop it were not installed until 1901.