Musical chairs in the State Box?

[L Verge]

On page 43 of Olszewski's report on the restoration of Ford's Theatre, the description of the Presidential Box(es) 7&8 describes entry via a four-foot wide by about ten feet long vestibule. The doors into each box are described as 2 1/2 feet wide and 7 feet high, opening inward. The door to Box 7 was on the north side - Box 8 to the east. The partition measured about 7 feet high and 3 inches thick (which would take up additional space in Box 8 despite being removed and propped against the wall). Individual boxes usually accommodated four people each, but could hold up to six.

On occasions when the Presidential party attended, the door on the north side of the vestibule leading to Box 7 was customarily left locked because of the diverse angular construction of the box. Entry to the combined boxes was normally through the east door to Box 8. This description comes from H. Clay Ford's testimony as recorded in the Peterson transcripts of the trial. It is consistent with the traffic pattern I'm reading on these posts as used by the Lincolns, Rathbone and Harris, and Booth on the night of April 14, 1865. Can we assume that Booth would have been familiar with Box 7 being locked and entry necessary through the door to Box 8?

I may have known this before and forgotten, but Harry Ford's description of the box that night would be accurate because he placed the furniture that day because the staff member who normally was assigned such duties, Thomas J. Raybold, was ill. He placed three velvet-covered armchairs, a velvet-covered sofa, and six cane chairs, and Peanuts brought down the walnut rocker. I'm adding all this detail just to reinforce the idea of how cluttered with furniture and people that space of Boxes 7 and 8 must have been.