Description:

Two John Wilkes Booth CDVs

Two vintage cartes de visite of alleged presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865), both unmarked. The sepia-colored albumen print photographs are on stock card mounts. The larger of the two is inscribed "Wilkes Booth" verso, and has isolated loss to the upper right corner. Expected wear consistent with age including superficial scuffs to the photo surfaces, and toning to the mounts, else near fine. The larger carte measures 2.375" x 4."

The first photograph depicts a standing Booth resting his right arm on a baluster; while the second photograph shows Booth slouched in an ornate Gothic-style armchair. The first is listed as Gutman 5 and the second is listed as Gutman 28, according to the authoritative photography index created by Richard and Kellie O. Gutman, "John Wilkes Booth Himself" (Dover, Massachusetts: Hired Hand Press, 1979). Clearly, the variety of Booth's facial expressions and body positions on display here demonstrate his ability to emote, and would have helped him immeasurably as an actor.

Booth's being a professional actor uniquely enabled him to both formulate and execute Lincoln's assassination. Booth knew John T. Ford, owner of Ford's New Theater, so he had free and complete access to the building. He coordinated his fatal gunshot with the moment after one of the most comedic lines of "Our American Cousin" was delivered, when he knew that audience laughter would muffle the noise. Lastly, Booth delivered his final on-stage lines, "Sic Semper Tyrannis!" with an actor's gusto, clearly relishing the intersection of his Art with his Politics.

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 15, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000