In 1860, Chicago sculptor Leonard Volk wanted to make a life-sized bust of Lincoln. After creating a cast from Lincoln’s face, Volk created the bust. He was so pleased with it, he created a smaller version to present to Mrs. Lincoln and delivered it to her personally. She put it on the whatnot in the front parlor where the bust appeared in a drawing made of the room later that year. This version is slightly different from the original, which has never been found.