Before he was President Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer for almost twenty five years. Which is not bad considering that when he started he had very little formal education and it was not until an attorney in New Salem, John Stuart, encouraged him and lent him books that started him on that path in 1834. Three years later Lincoln was admitted to the bar and in 1837 he moved to Springfield to join Stuart as a partner.

His law career was wide a varied. Riding the Illinois circuit court, arguing in front of the Illinois Supreme Court. He took cases ranging from murders to runaway slaves he was actually a very successful and well thought of lawyer. Heck, he even gave oral arguments in a case in front of the US Supreme Court.

So what does that have to do with the picture above? Well that photo was taken in the Lincoln Home National Historic Site which is the house he and his family lived in during their years in Springfield. That desk that you see there is the original one that has survived all this time and sits in Lincolns bedroom on the second floor.

Many days he would work late at the law office and then take his work home where he would continue working or reading at that tiny desk above until all hours of the night. And by tiny, I mean tiny. Do you think you would be comfortable spending hours at that desk? This may be a good time to point out that Lincoln was 6′ 4″. I bet that when he sat at that desk his knee’s were up over his ears. Big man, tiny desk, juxtaposition achieved!