Today is Lincoln’s birthday, and what better way to celebrate than look at some really cool old photos? The Library of Congress added some never-before-scanned photos of Lincoln to their Flickr stream. I never even realized this resource existed!

I’m a photographer, so I’m especially interested in the stereoscope image (a really early Viewmaster) and the glass plate used as the basis for his image on the five-dollar bill. There’s also a really young unshaven Lincoln, who freaks me out like whenever I see Tom Selleck without his mustache.

My son’s been studying some of Lincoln’s famous presidential activities, so I can’t wait to show him all these photos after school. The captions are amazing, with great asides and details. I think he’ll also like to see Lincoln with his kids, although photos in those days were never “candid.”

Make sure to check out our President’s Day ideas.