This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/24/2023
Wood Section From "Booth Cabin", Birthplace of John Wilkes Booth
A .75" x 1" square section of wood taken from the original structure of the "Booth Cabin", birthplace of John Wilkes Booth, located in Bel Air, Maryland. Taken from a larger piece originally acquired in 1980 and then from the publisher of notable Lincolniana journal The Rail Splitter. Originally from the cabin's then-owner, John Handy. Accompanied by an extensive packet of provenance, which includes copies of the Determination of Eligibility form submitted to the Maryland Historical Trust in 2012, as well as an inventory form for a survey of historic sites which notes John Handy as the property's owner, dated December 3, 1981.
Encapsulated by CAG to the overall size of 2.5" x 3.5" and verified authentic.
The Booth Log Cabin was the first home of Junius Brutus Booth and then-mistress Mary Ann Holmes after the couple immigrated to the United States from England in 1821. The building would subsequently serve as the birthplace for several of the Booth's children, including Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth. Upon the completed construction of Tudor Hall, a larger and grander house commissioned by Junius, the family moved out of the more modest cabin in 1847. With the death of the elder Booth in 1851, coupled with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the hands of her son over a decade later, Mary Ann Booth decided to sell the property shortly after and move to New York City. The original cabin, in turn, would change ownership several times before eventually being bought by John M. Handy Jr. in 1951, where he resided until his death in 2000.
Authentication: CAG Encapsulated and a Gotta Have Rock and Roll Certificate of Authenticity.