In 1864, Abraham Lincoln donated a signed photograph to help Union soldiers' families; generations later, it surfaced in an old desk with a forgotten newspaper clipping and sold for $149,020 at auction

• The inscription confirms Lincoln donated the signed portrait to support Union soldiers’ families during the Civil War.
• Some historical treasures spend decades behind glass, carefully catalogued and admired.
• Others wait quietly in forgotten corners of family homes, their significance hidden until an unexpected discovery brings the past back to life.