A member of the well-known Booth family of Shakespearean actors and a somewhat erratic, if popular, performer. A supporter of slavery and the South, he participated in the arrest and execution of abolitionist John Brown in 1859. In the fall of 1864, he hatched a plan to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln but the scheme failed. He then concocted the plot to assassinate Lincoln, which he did in Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865 before jumping to the stage and allegedly crying out, “Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged!” Booth was located and killed twelve days later. Partly-printed DS, signed “J. Wilkes Booth,” one page, 6 x 2.5, May 30, 1864. Receipt for one dollar reads, in full: “received of…One Dollar — cents, in full of engagement, at Boston Museum, and of all demands.” Beautifully archivally double cloth matted and framed with a portrait of Booth, to an overall size of 14.5 x 23. Payee’s name clipped from body of receipt, three vertical folds, one through a single letter of signature, as well as old tape reinforcement to folds on reverse, a bit of scattered light toning, and two trimmed edges, otherwise fine condition.
From late April until the end of May 1864, Booth participated in a 30-night run at the Boston Museum. His demanding performance schedule was motivated by his lust for money—but a sense of anarchy soon outweighed such pursuits. On this final night—May 30—he delivered a rarely seen and bloody tragedy entitled Ugolino that had been written by his father thirty years earlier. The performance involved the main character killing his lover and enemies before committing suicide while uttering the prophetic line: ‘What mov’d me to it? To murder him who sacrificed my peace? This was the crowning crime!’
The subtle fact that the payee’s name has been excised is typical of documents pertaining to Booth. Following Lincoln’s assassination, nobody wanted anything to do with the murderer—in large part because they did not want to be indicted as part of an assassination conspiracy. Nearly everything with Booth’s name was destroyed, creating the serious scarcity of his signature. This is as close to a true Booth-signed bank check as one will ever find. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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