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![<b>Assassin of President Abraham Lincoln</b>
(1838-65) The famous Shakespearean actor who was the son of Junius Brutus Booth, and the brother of Edwin Booth, and was part of the iconic Booth acting family. In 1859, he joined the Virginia militia regiment that assisted in the capture and execution of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. For six months he led a group of conspirators that planned to abduct President Abraham Lincoln and take him to Richmond, but the plot failed when Lincoln failed to show up where Booth and his men lay in wait. On April 14, 1865, he shot President Lincoln who was attending the evening performance of "Our American Cousin," starring Laura Keene, at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died early the next morning. In the meantime, Booth had escaped by horseback over the Potomac River, and was later caught in a barn near Bowling Green, Va. on April 26th, after a riveting man hunt for the assassin. The barn he was hiding in was set on fire, and Booth was shot to death by Sergeant Boston Corbett through one of the cracks in the structure.
Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. 2/3 standing view of Booth wearing his heavy overcoat with attached cape and astrakhan collar while his gloved hand is grabbing the lapel of his coat. Period ink inscription on the front, "J. Wilkes Booth." [this is not Booth's autograph]. Very minor age toning and wear. Although this particular card has no backmark, it is an 1862 view which was originally taken by C.D. Fredricks & Co. Sharp image, very desirable pose of the man who killed Lincoln and changed the course of American history! Reference: Gutman #20, from the book, "John Wilkes Booth Himself," by Richard and Kellie Gutman.](https://www.tias.com/stores/war/thumbs/cdv8486a.jpg)
