[Rarebooks] fs: Lincoln Assassination, 145 years ago tonight

[Back Creek Books]

Greetings Booklovers,

On this night, 145 years ago, shortly after 10 o'clock, John Wilkes Booth 
slipped into the presidential box at Ford's Theatre and shot Abraham Lincoln 
in the back of the head at near point-blank range while the president, his 
wife, and two guests watched the play "Our American Cousin." Booth knew the 
play well and chose his moment wisely. The play's biggest laugh line had 
just been spoken by actor Harry Hawk to the backs of two actresses leaving 
the stage. The audience erupted in laughter, muffling the pistol shot, 
buying Booth precious seconds. Hawk, now alone on the stage, would be but a 
minor impediment to Booth's planned escape route out the back of the 
theatre.

Here is the first printing of the play:
~
(No. 7360 )  Taylor, Tom (1817-1880). OUR AMERICAN COUSIN: A DRAMA, IN 3 
ACTS.
(S.l.): (s.n.), 1869. First printing, Wrappers, Duodecimo, 46 pages. Very 
good.
      The first printed appearance of the popular play that Lincoln was 
watching when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. Laura Keene 
had acquired the rights to Tom Taylor's "Our American Cousin" in 1858, and 
opened it that year in her theatre in New York. The play was a great success 
and Ms. Keene was very careful to protect her property. Besides the original 
manuscript owned by Keene and one other manuscript copy found in the estate 
of Joshua Silsbee, the play only existed in the manuscript prompt books used 
by the actors until Ms. Keene finally allowed this version of the play to be 
printed in 1869. Even then, despite its tragic link to Lincoln's murder, the 
play retained enough popularity that Keene was careful to prominently state 
on the title page that the work was "Printed, but not published." Copyright 
law at the time was not very protective of dramatic works deemed to have 
been "published." (See Bryan, "The Great American Myth," p. 176; Taylor, 
"Our American Cousin: the Play that Changed History," p. 25.) This copy is 
bound in original plain light blue wrappers over a sewn binding. Original 
cast from the 1858 opening at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, appears on 
verso of title page. The last words that Lincoln heard on this earth appear 
on page 37. Heel of spine has some shallow chewing along last 3/4," title 
and year lightly pencilled on front cover, title penned in contemporary ink 
on spine. A nice example of this scarce piece....... $2000.00
- Photo(s), secure ordering: 
http://www.tomfolio.com/mall/backcreekbooks/bookdetails.asp?book=7360

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Terms:
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for the first book, $1.25 each additional book or
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PayPal. All items fully guaranteed and returnable if not as described.

Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,

Rock
Back Creek Books
Maryland, Abraham Lincoln, Americana, maritime, military, etc.
Post Office Box 3540, Annapolis, MD 21403, U.S.A.
Tel. 410-626-1363 or toll free 877-626-1363 -  Fax. 815-425-8542
Web: http://www.backcreekbooks.com  ~  Email: rock at backcreekbooks.com
On Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/y9n54tg
-- 
 Today's featured book from our stock at TomFolio.com:
 ~ Brown, Alexander Crosby (Foreword by Walter Lord).  'Steam Packets on the 
Chesapeake: a History of the Old Bay Line Since 1840.'
http://www.tomfolio.com/mall/backcreekbooks/bookdetails.asp?book=4030
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