Photo of the Day: The Stage of Ford’s Theatre

This is how the stage scenery appeared for Our American Cousin at the time of Lincoln’s assassination.  It was photographed by Mathew Brady on Monday, April 17 after the War Department ordered the scene of the crime to be recreated for government detectives.

Notice the music stands in the orchestra pit.  They are likely still holding the music to “Honor to Our Soldiers”, a song that was planned to be performed for Lincoln that night.

Honor to Our Soldiers Playbill excerpt
Image Source: National Archives

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , | 4 Comments

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4 thoughts on “Photo of the Day: The Stage of Ford’s Theatre

  1. John C. Fazio

    Dave:

    Recall that it was from one of those music stands that Booth fashioned the brace he used to prop open the outer door that led to the passageway and the two inner doors to the presidential box. Spangler, the hapless sceneshifter, was blamed for this, as well as the peephole in door number 7, neither of which he had anything to do with.

    John

  2. rich smyth

    And William Withers is still pissed off!

    • Ha! Yes, he probably is, Rich. All that effort to write the song in hopes of performing it for the President and that blasted actor Booth had ruin it.

  3. Richard Sloan

    Dave — what is your source for
    1. the info that the picture was taken by Brady (and not Gardner
    2.that it was taken on April 17th.
    And, in another post, you showed a complete photo of the stage and all 4 boxes. WHere did you find it? Do you know who owns it?

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