John Adams and Abigail Adams at Peacefield in Quincy Massachusetts

The Real Faces of John Adams and Abigail Adams

Well, this is the true face of John Adams. As for Abigail, her likeness may not be entirely accurate, since there are no life masks, death masks, or photographs of her.

Abigail Adams painting by  Gilbert Stuart and John Adams life mask cast by John Henri Isaac Browere
Abigail Adams painting by Gilbert Stuart and John Adams life mask cast by John Henri Isaac Browere

John Adams life mask was cast of his head and upper torso by John Henri Isaac Browere in 1825. Adams himself wrote: "Quincy, Mass., Nov. 23, 1825 — This certifies that John H. I. Browere of the city of New York has yesterday and to-day made two portrait bust molds on my person and made a cast of the first, which has been approved of by friends." The original life mask is housed at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Adams the Elder

John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home
John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home

In this composition, John Adams’ face has been faithfully reconstructed in Photoshop from the life mask. His body combines photographic elements and a period-accurate action figure. Abigail Adams' likeness was AI-enhanced from a portrait by Gilbert Stuart. Their historic Peacefield home forms the backdrop, to reflect its 18th-century character by removing modern objects.

Close up view of John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home
Close up view of John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home

John and Abigail met in Weymouth, Mass., in the house where Abigail was born to a minister and his wife on Nov. 22, 1744. She was only 15, while John was 24. Barely five feet tall and slim, she had dark brown hair and eyes. John was a country lawyer, already losing his hair and quite plump – not necessarily a bad thing in those days. John accompanied his friend Richard Cranch to the house where Abigail lived with her parents and two sisters. They went because Richard had a romantic interest in Abigail’s older sister Mary.

Adams the Younger - De-aged Life Mask

Close up view of younger John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home
A younger John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home

John described the visit in his diary as a waste of time. He didn’t like Abigail’s father, the Rev. William Smith, describing him as ‘a crafty designing man.’ He dismissed the three girls was “not fond, not frank, not candid.” Nor did Abigail’s mother Elizabeth Quincy think much of John, who, she felt, lacked manners.

John would soon change his mind about the bookish minister’s daughter. John and Abigail got to know each other over the next three years, as he had legal business in Weymouth and Cranch courted, then married, Mary. They wed on Oct. 25, 1764, five days before John’s 29th birthday. The newlyweds rode off on a single horse together to their new home, a small house and farm in Braintree that John had inherited.

Source: New England Historical Society

Close up view of a younger John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home
Close up view of a younger John Adams sitting with his wife Abigail Adams in front of their Peacefield home

Digital Yarbs Complete Works

About Me

Figure

I am Cheryl A. Daniel, also known as Digital Yarbs, an ardent aficionado of both Photoshop and history. My passion lies in reconstructing life masks, statues, and busts of renowned early Americans and other prominent historical figures. At yarbs.net, you can delve into a captivating collection of reconstructions and animations derived from these life masks, showcasing how these subjects might have appeared in daguerreotypes and photographs. Along the way, I sprinkle fascinating historical tidbits to enrich your journey. Among my reconstructions, you will discover the faces of illustrious individuals such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Dolley Madison, Marquis de Lafayette, Henry Clay, and an array of others!

See or purchase Digital Yarbs' works at these fine historical sites.

Fayetteville History Museum Logo Fayetteville History Museum Logo James Madison Museum Logo

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Select images are available as signed/numbered high-quality archival giclee prints, limited edition canvases with a certificate of authenticity, and 4x6 premium matte postcards at Digital Yarbs Ebay Store.

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