Note: Please see Day 3 (October 11) of the sale that features rare material relating to the Gettysburg Address.

A group of 7 CDVs of John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865). Views include: 

1. [Charles D. Fredericks, photographer] and Williamson. Altered portrait of Booth with illustration of a devil whispering in his ear. Albumen CDV. New York: Macoy & Herwig, 1865. Photographer's & publisher's imprint to verso. Period pencil identification to recto. 

An alteration from a circa 1863 portrait of Booth taken by Charles Deforest Fredricks. A devil has been whispering evil temptations in the assassin's ear. 

2. Booth & His Associates. Composite albumen CDV. N.p., circa 1865. Subjects identified in negative. Titled to mount recto. 

3. The Assassin's Vision. Illustrated albumen CDV. Rhode Island: Francis Hacker, 1865. Titled in negative. Copyright statement to mount recto. 

In this bizarrely altered portrait of Lincoln and Booth, the latter rides a horse with a dagger affixed to its neck, while the former, whose jacket-clad body is apparently composed of the scenery around him, stands between a pair of trees adorned with his own smaller bust-length likenesses. The artist's intention with the piece may be lost to time, but its dreamlike, surrealist nature is highly compelling. 

4. Seated three-quarter length view albumen CDV. Bangor, Maine: S.W. Sawyer, [circa 1862-1863]. Illustrated imprint to verso. 

5. Seated half-length view with hand on hip albumen CDV. Baltimore, Maryland: Selby & Dulany, [circa 1865]. Imprint to verso. 

This particular pose was reproduced on wanted posters issued by the War Department during the manhunt for Lincoln’s killer.

6. Half-length portrait wearing a tweed suit with velvet collar. Boston: T.R. Burnham, n.d. Publisher's imprint to mount verso. 

7. Standing three-quarter length portrait of Booth. Chicago: M. O'Brien, n.d. Publisher's imprint to mount recto.

[Abraham Lincoln, Politics, Mary Todd Lincoln, 1860 Election, Election of 1860, 1864 Election, Election of 1864,  Lincoln Assassination, John Wilkes Booth] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards, Stereographs]