Out of Place

Can you spot the glaring historical inaccuracy in this photo?

If you said “The iPod shuffle” you'd be right. A President in Abraham Lincoln’s position would likely have opted for an iPod with video, or an iPod nano at the very least.

Maintaining the image of power and prosperity — while showing that he was concurrent with national trends — was an important and befitting aspect of official portraiture. This was especially pertinent during the critical period of the Civil War, which threatened to undermine Lincoln’s presidency.

It is also interesting to note that any of the black iPod models would have been a more appropriate choice for such a formal occasion.