Description:

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Items of Booth, Lincoln, Johnson, Seward

An assortment of items relating to the key members in the assassination plot of President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). The highlights include a rare CDV of Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth, a handsome signature of Andrew Johnson, William Seward, and an ALS by Frederick Seward.

The assassination of President Lincoln was part of a vast conspiracy planned by John Wilkes Booth to revive the Confederate cause by assassinating the three most powerful officials withinthe United States government. Conspirators Lewis Powell and David Herold were assigned to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward, while George Atzerodt was tasked with the killing of the Vice President Andrew Johnson. Beyond Lincoln's death, Booth’s plot ultimately failed. The Secretary of State William Seward was only wounded thanks to his son Frederick’s heroic efforts in fighting off Herold. Atzerodt, Vice President Johnson's would-be attacker lost his nerve. After a dramatic initial escape, Booth was killed at the climax of a 12-day chase. Powell, Herold, Atzerodt, and Mary Surratt were later hanged for their roles in the conspiracy.

Autographs and ephemera include:

- JOHN WILKES BOOTH CARTE DE VISITE -

4.” x 2.25” with Frederick's of New York Gallery Backing in a Beautiful Blue Hue. The blue backing is clear with a $0.02 teal Revenue stamp, canceled in Black Ink with minor spotting. The image shows Booth in a dark suit with a light fur collared overcoat. He is posed with one hand on his hip and with the other he holds the edge of his jacket. A Lovely crisp, clear image depicting a rare photo of Booth standing instead of seated. Very rare.

- ABRAHAM LINCOLN DEATH BED CARTE DE VISITE -

4.” x 2.5” with Lincoln surrounded by his cabinet and his wife Mary Lincoln at his side. The verso of the CDV has a Haines & Wickes photography stamp in purple. With minor foxing, water marks and a pinhole on the top left hand corner.

- PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON AUTOGRAPH -

A paper slip 4.5x 3.5” boldly signed with some feathering and dated by the 17th U.S. President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) as "Andrew Johnson / Aug 5th 1873. 

- WILLIAM SEWARD SIGNED CUT AUTOGRAPH -

A paper slip, 4.75" x 2” taken from an autograph album and boldly signed “William H Seward / Auburn” likely while he was State Senator with the heading “New York” appearing above the signature.

- FREDERICK SEWARD ALS -

A scarce autograph letter signed (ALS), 1 pg., approx. 4-3/4" x 7-3/4", dated at Montrose, NY, Nov. 23, 1875, to Miss Anneta Kohn, complying with an autograph request.

The letter reads:

"Montrose, N.Y.

Nov. 23d 1875

Madam,

Your letter of the 16th, addressed to me at Auburn, has only now reached me here. I take pleasure in complying with your request.

Respectfully yours,

Frederick W. Seward

[to]

Miss Anneta Kohn”

- ABRAHAM LINCOLN CUSTOM DISPLAY FEATURING A FORD’S THEATRE LINEN SWATCH

A swatch of fabric excised from a linen tablecloth recycled from the painted curtain that hung in Ford's Theatre the night that 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was assassinated. The fragment of cream-colored linen is oblong and measures approximately .75" x .5." Expected wear including loose strands, otherwise very good. The swatch is affixed to a University Archives certification display sheet measuring 8.5" x 11."

The swatch is accompanied by photocopies of the following provenance information:

1. A copy of a handwritten note explaining the origins of the table cloth, reading:

"The table cover was made from the immense hand-painted curtain, of the stage, in the Ford theater, and was hanging there at the time Lincoln was shot. My great-grandfather worked in the theater at the time and bro't home the curtain when it was discarded, and his wife, (my great-grandmother) soaked it in gallons of turpentine to remove the painted scenery. There were many, many, yards in the piece and after she had thoroughly cleaned it, she supplied the household with tablecloths, sheets, slips and numerous other necessities. It was all of pure linen and very nice at the time she made the articles from it. This cover has had years of hard use, as can be seen. Mrs. L. M. Kellogg."

2. A typed box label once accompanied the above note and read: "ANTIQUE TABLE CLOTH – CIRCA 1865. This table cloth, part of a linen curtain panel removed from the Ford Theater shortly after President Lincoln was shot by Booth. A relative, employed at the theater, gave the panel to my Grandmother Crafts [sic] mother who cut it into many sizes and uses in the house. (please read her description of this.) - Martin Kellogg." A copy of this is included.

A Martin Kellogg who was a metalworker in Jamestown, New York in 1928 may be the person who owned the tablecloth. Martin Kellogg's "Grandmother Crafts" may have been Juliette Montague Cook Crafts (1847-1900) of Hadley and Whately, Massachusetts. She married Bela Kellogg Crafts (1841-1921) in 1865. Her mother was Angeline Kellogg Cook (1811-1881), and her father was James Cook Jr. (1807-1892), both of Hadley. The transformation of the Ford's Theatre curtain into this tablecloth and other items was thus probably the work of Angeline Kellogg Cook, who received the material from "a relative" described as her husband in the handwritten note.

3. Copies of a photograph of the tablecloth from which this swatch was clipped, as well as interior views of Ford's Theatre showing the stage curtains.

The table cloth was found in the attic of a Washington home wrapped up in a 1944 newspaper, alongside a section of Roosevelt-era fabric from a White House loveseat. All of the notes, emails, photos, and newspaper documentation relating to these items are kept in perpetuity in the University Archives provenance file. Sourced from and certified authentic by University Archives, one of the foremost authorities of historical relics and artifacts.

- A SILK FRAGMENT SWATCH FROM THE FLAG IN ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S FUNERAL TRAIN

Measuring approximately 0.25" x 0.5", Indianapolis, Indiana, Ca. April 30, 1865. A small piece of red and white silk, taken from a larger, 36-star flag, used during Abraham Lincoln's funeral journey from Washington, D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois. The provenance states that the fabric remnant was part of a flag that was specially made for Lincoln by the matron of the McQuillen family in Indianapolis. When the train stopped in the city, the flag was hung in one of the interior train compartments in tribute. Before the train departed, the flag was returned to the family. The piece has minor fading and fraying, else very good.

After Lincoln's death, his body lay in state at the U.S. Capitol before traveling to Springfield. The funeral train left on April 21, 1865, traveling through 180 cities and seven states as it retraced Lincoln's victorious route to Washington in 1861.

- “THE NATION IN TEARS” IN MEMORIAM OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRINT

A newspaper clipping with the sheet music for the song, "The Nation in Tears" created by Konrad Treuer, R. C., Wm. Jennings Demorest in honor of President Lincoln. There is a large gray rectangle with a black mourning border across the cover with an illustration at the center of the late President Abraham Lincoln. The title is printed in black lettering at the top of the cover. 1 score (Front & Back) "A dirge in memory of the nation's chief" for mixed chorus. "May be sung as a solo, trio, duet, or full chorus. Arranged for the piano or organ.” Expected chipping, minor tears and paper loss.

- PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN ASSASSINATION MEMORIAL CDV-1/6 PLATE IN A VICTORIAN CASE

A hand-tooled leather on wood Victorian case in excellent condition measuring at 3.25 x 3.50 with the original spine. The union case is hand-tooled leather on wood with little corrosion on the interior brass, but other than that is stunning. Lincoln's portrait is sharp and the Harrisburg Pennsylvania stamp on the back is printed in Black Ink. The “In Memoriam” black silk label is sown into the inner left side of the Victorian case and is printed in a silver print.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. 

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