What was Booth wearing?

[irshgrl500]

(12-13-2013 09:34 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Karin, what is the source of your statements on Booth's dress? It would be highly unusual for a man to be without a tie unless he was doing hard manual labor -- and certainly not at night entering a theatrical performance.

What is your source for him having on a double-breasted frock coat? I don't ever recall seeing such a description. Wouldn't such a formal coat make it difficult to ride a horse? Would it have a split tail in back for adjusting to a horse? Didn't men unbutton their coats in order to ride more comfortably (especially when riding at top speed)?

The eyewitness account posted by Joe earlier (Joseph Hazelton's) is the most detailed description that we have to go by, I believe. I just wish that Hazelton had included a description of the tie, but neck attire was something that just went without saying because it was so standard for men to have on.

Laurie, I;m sorry, I thought I cited my sources for Booth's dress, in my first post but here they are for Booth's dress, the night he shot President Lincoln: (the source from Roger's page, did state Booth was wearing calf length boots; they obviously did not get a close look at the length of the boot, as it is much higher than calf length. The boot which, Roger displayed belonging to Booth, had to reach his thighs, as a few folks here, said. After all, Booth was only 5'8".)

http://www.fords.org/home/explore-lincoln/learn-story
http://www.fords.org/sites/default/files...incoln.pdf

http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln36.html
Booth put on black calf-length boots, new spurs, a black frock coat, black pants, and a black slouch hat. He picked up his diary. Booth carried a compass, a small derringer, and a long hunting knife that could be stuck inside his pants on the left side. Booth loaded the .44-caliber derringer with a lead ball. It was a single shot pistol. At 7:45 he exited the National Hotel.

http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln83.html

Here are the balance of my sources for men's dress of 1860's: (a double breasted Frock coat or walking coat is pictured in the first link.)

http://www.victoriana.com/Mens-Clothing/...-1868.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_suit
http://www.lazyjackmess.com/attire.htm

I also said that it was highly unlikely that Booth was wearing a tie, with a flannel shirt. Flannel shirts weren't normally worn with a tie; normally they were worn with a collar or detachable collar.