Old West & Native American Auction
Lot 1410:
Description
Exceedingly rare and desirable framed “Buckingham” copy of the playbill for “Our American Cousin” from the night that President Abraham Lincoln was shot by Actor John Wilkes Booth. It was printed by the very same printers of the playbills for the performance at Ford’s Theatre that night. Made by “H. Polkinhorn & Son, Printers, D street” The latter part (“near 7th, Washington D.C.” of the printing has been torn off at the bottom of the document. This version became known as the “Buckingham copy”. John Buckingham was the doorkeeper at the theater, and provided the time to John Wilkes Booth when he was asked for it before 10PM. These examples were produced soon after the event, and sold as keepsakes. Their printing shop was located a few blocks away from Ford’s Theatre in NW Washington D.C. There are some notable features of the Buckingham copies that are determined by these details: The souvenir reprints made of the playbill included a few minute differences from the originals printed ahead of the performance. The original playbill had in the heading “Whole Number of Nights 49 5.” The reprint (this one included) corrected the space in the number 495. Another difference is in the line directly above “The Octoroon.” The original playbill has the line: “When will be presented Bourcicault’s Great Sensation Drama.” The Buckingham reprint has the same line corrected to read “Great Sensational Drama.” Finally, a major difference is in the final “E” from “Keene” which is complete and bold in the original playbill. The word “Keene” in the Buckingham reprint has the top vertical bar of the “E” mostly missing. In this example, that “E” is mostly there, but with significant ink loss. All of the aspects noted above definitively make this piece one made just after the play, and not just before the play as the originals were. Condition overall is very good, with the only detractor being paper/word loss at the base of the print. Measurements of the frame are: 10.25” wide x 23.25” tall. Matting opening for playbill itself is: 5.40” wide x 18.5” tall. Professionally conserved and framed in the late 1990’s. This particular example came from an old collection in Chicago by a woman who collected theater related material and is a contemporary printing of “Our American Cousin” playbill. Acquired by the Donley’s in the 1970’s and in the Lincoln Assassination display in the Wild West Town Museum from then until recently.
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