Wanted Posters

[Rsmyth]

I have a question about one of the wanted poster versions. The one with the blank boxes (without photos) at the top. I have heard two different scenarios of this version. The first has the War Dept. distributing the posters without photos until the images were available. The second has the War Dept issuing the posters with the photos until they ran out of photos and then distributed posters without. Does anyone have an idea which version is correct? Thanks.

[BettyO]

The date of the first wanted posters was April 20. These were the posters without the photos or placards for the photos -

[J. Beckert]

A poster like the one Betty posted was just found last month in the files of Princeton University. I've only heard they ran out of photos, Rich, but I've also heard it's rare to find one with the photos because a lot of folks tore them off. I don't know if it was out of contempt or for souveneirs.

[Jim Garrett]

There is also a wanted poster at the Library of Congress in the rare books section that was issued on the 16th! The reward money was much less. I believe Clark Evans said that it may be the only one.

[BettyO]

Jim -

Do you know what the LOC poster looks like? The one for the 16th? I've never heard of that one -

[Rsmyth]

Joe, that makes sense. I was under the impression that they created the poster but did not immediately have photos so they began distributing the posters till they were available.

[Jim Garrett]

(04-30-2013 06:08 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Jim -

Do you know what the LOC poster looks like? The one for the 16th? I've never heard of that one -

I've never seen it until last February. I don't know that it has ever been published. No pictures and the reward money is about half the amounts. If I remember, I don't think I could take a picture of it because they don't allow photography in the rare book room. It is the same format as the one posted on this thread. I think it has Lafayette Baker's name on the bottom, not Edwin Stanton.

[BettyO]

Interesting, Jim! No, they will not allow photography in the Rare Book Room as far as I know.....would love to see that, though - this is the first I've ever heard of it.

[Jim Garrett]

Clark Evans has retired. My son's sister-in-law works at LOC. I will find out from her who runs that section and see if we can make an appointment. Clark was great and had a paasion for sharing the collection. I went to see the Homer Bates diary with the entries for April 15th. It was being carefully digitilized. While there, Clark just kept pulling out their wanted posters, play bills, one of a kind books on the assassination, etc. Then he invited me back the next week for a private viewing of the contents of Lincoln's pockets with Dr. David Fleischmann who has a great antique eye glass web site that is terrific.

[J. Beckert]

(04-30-2013 06:32 PM)Rsmyth Wrote:  Joe, that makes sense. I was under the impression that they created the poster but did not immediately have photos so they began distributing the posters till they were available.

Here's one that sold a few years ago. It was in remarkable shape and it looks like there never were photos attached. Could be a little of both scenarios.



It sold for $47,800.00

[Jim Garrett]

Rich. Weren't the photos reproduced by Dr. Charles Crane, head of the army lab and also one of the doctors at Lincoln's autopsy?

[J. Beckert]

I remembered that Heritage Auction Galleries had that one two years ago. This was in the description, but I don't know how accurate this info is:

"Initially, a small broadside was printed offering a $25,000 reward for the capture of Booth. The reward was then increased to an aggregate of $100,000 and a larger broadside disseminated that gave detailed, albeit not totally accurate physical descriptions of the conspirators, but no photographs. We are offering the third version which advises the public that Booth may have shaved off his moustache and added "frames" for photographs. A fourth version exists which has the three photographs attached."

[Linda Anderson]

(04-30-2013 06:44 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 06:08 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Jim -

Do you know what the LOC poster looks like? The one for the 16th? I've never heard of that one -

I've never seen it until last February. I don't know that it has ever been published. No pictures and the reward money is about half the amounts. If I remember, I don't think I could take a picture of it because they don't allow photography in the rare book room. It is the same format as the one posted on this thread. I think it has Lafayette Baker's name on the bottom, not Edwin Stanton.

The Manuscript Reading Room has a scanner that we used for a document that we couldn't photograph. Maybe the rare book room has one as well that you can use.

There is a photograph in American Brutus of a reward flyer for the "Murderer of the President, Mr. Lincoln! and the Assassin of the Secretary of State, Mr. Seward!"

"General Christopher Augur posted a reward of $10,000 within hours after the assassination. This flyer, discovered by the author [Michael Kauffman] is the only known advertisement for that offer." It's in the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

[RJNorton]

(04-30-2013 05:55 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  There is also a wanted poster at the Library of Congress in the rare books section that was issued on the 16th! The reward money was much less. I believe Clark Evans said that it may be the only one.

Jim, is this it?

[Jim Garrett]

(05-01-2013 04:06 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(04-30-2013 05:55 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  There is also a wanted poster at the Library of Congress in the rare books section that was issued on the 16th! The reward money was much less. I believe Clark Evans said that it may be the only one.

Jim, is this it?

Yes Roger, I believe it is. According to Clark Evans, Edwin Stanton wasn't happy with Baker for putting his name on the bottom and not Stanton's.