A thin piece of metal inserted into the back of a Hasselblad or a 4 × 5 to prevent light from hitting the film, the dark slide is rapidly--and sadly--becoming a thing of the past. Costing mere pennies to manufacture, lost or prematurely pulled dark slides were the source of great angst to even the world's best photographers.

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about the Lincoln Photo

Read Matt's Washington Post cover story on his life--from the White House to weddings.