Museum Booth's Deringer Readied for Display

Drew

Major
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
"A curator held the pistol in the palm of her hand, the steel and brass engravings along the wooden handle muted under the dim lighting of Ford’s Theatre’s Center for Education and Leadership.
A mere eight ounces, it had been stored in a box among layers of tissue paper. Now the weapon used to assassinate a president was being readied for display to commemorate an event that both shattered and united a nation divided by civil war."


Full story is here with pics.
 
I got to visit Ford's Theater several years ago. I couldn't recall if they had the original deringer. They did have one or two other pistols he was armed with. They are all still at Ford's Theater---correct?
 
I got to visit Ford's Theater several years ago. I couldn't recall if they had the original deringer. They did have one or two other pistols he was armed with. They are all still at Ford's Theater---correct?

The original was likely on display when you were there, DR. The article linked implies it's being brought out for the first time - not so. The papers are helping to gin up publicity for the 150th anniversary event. Just thought I'd do my part. :smile:
 
Not too long ago, on Brad Meltzer's Lost History program series, there was an episode about whether or Booth's derringer was one of the genuine items and not a faked artifact. It was determined by various means that the pistol on display at Ford's Theater WAS the original derringer used by Booth to shoot President Lincoln. It was a very interesting and informative program...
 
Not too long ago, on Brad Meltzer's Lost History program series, there was an episode about whether or Booth's derringer was one of the genuine items and not a faked artifact.

It was alleged by an FBI informant (or a convict, I've forgotten) many years ago, that the Deringer was stolen sometime in the 1960's and replaced with a replica. There was a great effort to authenticate the pistol that panned out, apparently.

Conspiracies abound about everything....
 
I never saw the display at Ford's Theater, but I do remember seeing an article about it in a magazine many years ago (perhaps SMITHSONIAN) and I believe it had to do with a then-recent renovation of the building. It's been a long time and the memory is kind of fuzzy now. I've wondered what might have happened differently if the cap had snapped on the nipple without igniting the powder charge--as sometimes happens with percussion weapons. People have been pondering that ever since the assassination. Of course, the cap DID ignite the powder charge....
 
"A curator held the pistol in the palm of her hand, the steel and brass engravings along the wooden handle muted under the dim lighting of Ford’s Theatre’s Center for Education and Leadership.
A mere eight ounces, it had been stored in a box among layers of tissue paper. Now the weapon used to assassinate a president was being readied for display to commemorate an event that both shattered and united a nation divided by civil war."


Full story is here with pics.
Well here is my attempt at a display to remember that awful action, as a part of my civil war display.

IMG_0106.jpg
 
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