Nine Pieces of Costume Fabric From Edwin Booth, Likely Used By His Brother John Wilkes Booth

Nine Pieces of Costume Fabric From Edwin Booth, Likely Used By His Brother John Wilkes Booth - Inventory Number: IDE 170

EDWIN THOMAS BOOTH. Edwin Booth (1833-1893) was the brother of actor John Wilkes Booth who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Like is brother, Edwin was an American actor. He toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe performing Shakespearean plays. Some theatrical historians consider him the greatest American actor and the greatest Prince Hamlet of the 19th century.

NINE PIECES OF COSTUME FABRIC FROM EDWIN BOOTH AND LIKELY USED BY HIS BROTHER AND ASSASSIN JOHN WILKES BOOTH            

A series of nine pieces of costume fabric from Edwin Booth and likely used by his brother John Wilkes Booth. Each fabric contains a different decorative and color design, measures between 1.5" by 1" to 2" by 1.5", in fine condition with tattering along the edges, beautifully matted and framed with an image of Edwin with his brother John Wilkes to an overall size of 19" by 12", accompanied with a certificate of authenticity from the leading historical relics company University Archives, and attached to a handwritten note of provenance from the time period:

"Scraps of Edwin Booth's stage costumes made up in London. Born in Belair, Md. 1833. Died

1893. In the famous Players Club House which he founded in New York.".     

Both Edwin and his brother John Wilkes performed together in Julius Caesar and, upon John Wilkes death and after his assassination of President Lincoln, Edwin was given a trunk of John Wilkes' clothing and costumes. As such, it is very likely these pieces of costume which ultimately ended up in Edwin's possession were also used by John Wilkes.

John Wilkes Booth / Edwin Booth    

History

Born into a famous acting family, he continued in that tradition. In early 1865, he conspired with other southern sympathizers to kill President Lincoln. On April 14, 1865, he entered Ford's Theater, where Lincoln was watching "Our American Cousin", broke into his box and shot him from behind. He escaped, but was found eleven days later and shot when he refused to surrender.

(Edwin Booth Born into a noted theatrical family. he plaved his first starring roles in Boston and New York City in 1857. He became famous as Hamlet, appearing in the role for 100 consecutive nights in 1864 - 65. When his brother John Wilkes Booth assassinated Pres. Abraham Lincoln. Edwin withdrew from the stage until 1866. In 1869 he opened his own theatre, but mismanagement forced him to sell it in 1873. His interpretations of Hamlet, lago, and King Lear won great acclaim in England and German. He founded the Plavers' Club in New York in 1888, and died there in '93.

Edwin Booth Costume Swatches with Provenance!

Edwin Booth Costume Swatches with Provenance! Probably Used by his Brother John Wilkes too

Handsomely presented costume fabric cloth from Edwin booth, and most likely the other Booth brothers including John Wilkes, with superb provenance. The swatch of nine cloth costume pieces appears in a floating mount under a reproduction image of a performance of Julius Caesar in which all three Booth brothers performed. The nine cloth samples remain attached to the original hand written note of provenance, "scraps of Edwin Booth's stage costumes made up in London. Born in Belair, Md. 1833. Died 1893. In the famous Players Club House which he founded in New York." The fabric ultimately became part of the collection of the Luray Museum of Luray, Virginia. Matted with the print to an overall size of 13" x 20.5."

Phenomenal set of costume cloth obtained from Edwin booth. The Booth family excelled at acting having been steered to this profession by their father, a brilliant but mentally unstable actor who's best known roles were in Shakespearean tragedies. Although Edwin. became the most famous actor, John Wilkes Booth performed extensively on stage and at one point the three brothers even had one performance together for Julius Caesar. It was also known the upon the death of John Wilkes Booth, after his assassination of President Lincoln, that Edwin was given a trunk of John Wilkes clothing and costumes. As such it remains unclear as who actually wore these pieces of cloth, although they ultimately ended up in Edwin's possession.

In the 1850's and 1860's Edwin Booth and his younger brother John Wilkes Booth were considered to be two of the finest actors in America, The Civil War divided many families, including the Booths. Edwin Booth was for the Union and an Abraham Lincoln supporter, voting for him in 1864 in the only time in his life he voted for President of the United States. Edwin Booth once saved the life of Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth on the other hand, was a strong supporter of the Confederate cause, so strong that at the end of the war, he could not accept the reality of defeat and committed an act that secured his place as one of the more reviled figures in American history.      

They grew up on the family farm in Maryland and also spent time in Baltimore, where the Booths maintained a second residence. Edwin was an introverted, quiet, and shy youth, while John Wilkes was friendly, good natured, outgoing and athletic. Although they had their differences over politics, Edwin and John did not appear to have professional rivalry, at least not a bitter one. Both had established themselves as actors in their own right. Theater critics inevitably compared their performances and picked their favorites.   

On November 25, 1864. Edwin. John, and a third brother. Junsus Jr appeared together in a production of Shakespeare Julius Caesar at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City. John played Mark Anthony, Edwin was Brutus, and Junius played Cassius. The packed house on hand and the critics loved the performances. It was the only time the three brothers appeared together on stage. In the time between John Wilkes two performances at Ford's theater, the last being on March 28, 1865, his hatred of Lincoln intensified, exploding in a promise of murder after he attended a speech Lincoln gave from the White House balcony on April 11, 1865. Disgusted by the president's call for limited African-American suffrage, Booth declared "That is the last speech he will ever make". and just days later he followed through on that threat.

Edwin Booth may have been the most "famous" of the Booth brothers for acting. but in the end it would be John Wilkes Booth whose fame would surpass that of his brother Edwin, when he transitioned from an actor to an assassin. The lives of all the Booth brothers would change forever on that fateful night, when on April 14, 1865.        

John Wilkes Booth entered the Presidential Box at Ford's theater and fired a single shot into the back of Lincoln's head. The news of the assassination shocked and devastated the Booth family, changing it forever. Many received death threats. Family members and friends were questioned. Junius Booth Jr. was performing in a play in Cincinnati and was arrested. In Philadelphia, Asia Booth Clarke was questioned and placed under surveillance for a time. Asia's husband John Clarke, who was himself an actor (and had gotten in arguments with John Wilkes over the war in the past), was arrested. In 1868, Asia and John Clarke moved to England; Asia never returned to the U.S. Edwin Booth, who was questioned by Federal authorities but not arrested, thought his career was over. He quit acting until friends convinced him to come back. On January 3, 1866, Edwin again took to the stage at the Winter Garden Theatre as Hamlet. It was a nervous time for the actor; police were on hand due to rumored death threats, and Booth had no idea how the public would react. But as he stepped onto the stage for the first time since the assassination, the crowd rose to its feet and gave him a tremendous ovation.

An extraordinary piece of history, handsomely presented.

The Luray Museum of Luray, Virginia was started by town resident Mary "Mollie" Zeiler Zerkle (1845-1933), who safeguarded artifacts of mostly local interest. According to family history, nineteen-year-old "Mollie" nursed Union soldiers after the 1864 Battle of New Market. She married Lemuel Zerkle, and the two lived in New Market, Virginia until 1890. That year, the family relocated to Luray, fourteen miles east across the Massanutten Mountain range. where Lemuel had secured a post as Superintendent of Luray Caverns. Local historian Daniel Vaughn reported that the museum operated between 1938-1960, after which point the collection was sold at auction.

Frame measure approximately 12” x 19”.

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Inventory Number: IDE 170