Post Reply 
John Wilkes Booth Ring
09-16-2014, 04:10 PM
Post: #1
John Wilkes Booth Ring
As many of us know, Lucy Hale gave JWB a ring that he wore on his pinky finger. As the days to Lincoln's assassination drew near, Sam Chester (when he met with Booth in New York in early April) noticed JWB was very fond of this particular ring and Booth told Chester he was engaged.

Does anyone know whatever happened to this ring? Was Booth wearing it the night he assassinated Lincoln???

Attached is a picture of Booth wearing a ring on his pinky finger. I do, however, have doubts that the ring in this picture is the one from Hale. I've seen many photos of Booth that show him wearing a ring. Those pictures including the one I have attached would have been prior to the time he courted Lucy. Did Booth own other pinky rings before the one from Lucy???? And if so, was he wearing one when he died? If he was, where is the ring now?


Attached File(s) Thumbnail(s)
   
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 05:35 PM (This post was last modified: 09-16-2014 05:37 PM by L Verge.)
Post: #2
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Pinky rings were very popular with men of the middle and upper classes during the 19th century, so it would not have been unusual for Booth to have owned several. My mind is fading with age, but I believe there was one still in the family that was brought along by a descendant on one of our Booth tours in the early-1980s.

If you want to believe the medical examiners who supposedly x-rayed the Booth mummy back in the 1930s, there is one in the mummy's tummy - even engraved with the letter "B."

Finally, there is a lady in California (who may be a member of this forum) who has been tracing the hair ring supposedly given by Lucy to her beloved. I know she found a sales receipt for such a ring (from Tiffany's?), but I got caught up on other things at work and have not stayed on top of this. Perhaps Betty or Dave has???
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 06:46 PM
Post: #3
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Quote:Finally, there is a lady in California (who may be a member of this forum) who has been tracing the hair ring supposedly given by Lucy to her beloved. I know she found a sales receipt for such a ring (from Tiffany's?), but I got caught up on other things at work and have not stayed on top of this. Perhaps Betty or Dave has???

I had never heard about this! Very interesting. I wonder if she's had any further luck!
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 07:36 PM (This post was last modified: 09-16-2014 07:38 PM by Gene C.)
Post: #4
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
I found this interesting picture on google of a hair ring

http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Hair+Ri...044255.jpg

So when is this "Old Enough To Know Better" supposed to kick in?
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 08:21 PM
Post: #5
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
(09-16-2014 07:36 PM)Gene C Wrote:  I found this interesting picture on google of a hair ring

Now that was just foul, Gene!! Tongue Hair ring indeed!
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 08:41 PM
Post: #6
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Could this be the red hairing of the case?
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 10:35 PM
Post: #7
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Attached are photos of two rings - the first Pearl Ring - is supposedly the one that JWB gave to Isabel Summers -


   


The second one is the supposedly Tiffany hair ring which JWB had on when he died....

   


   

"The Past is a foreign country...they do things differently there" - L. P. Hartley
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 10:58 PM
Post: #8
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
(09-16-2014 10:35 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Attached are photos of two rings - the first Pearl Ring - is supposedly the one that JWB gave to Isabel Summers -





The second one is the supposedly Tiffany hair ring which JWB had on when he died....

Betty thanks for posting these. I have not seen these before. Where to these rings currently reside?
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-16-2014, 11:14 PM
Post: #9
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
I only have the photos and think that the Isabel Summers ring photo was posted earlier on the forum.... Sorry but I dont have more info on it. Laurie may have info on the JWB ring - I may also have something on that one; I'll check...

"The Past is a foreign country...they do things differently there" - L. P. Hartley
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-17-2014, 07:18 AM
Post: #10
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
I think Isabel's ring went to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum as part of the Taper collection. I have no recollection of where the hair ring went or is. I don't remember that it was on Booth when he died, but I may be wrong.
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-17-2014, 07:32 AM
Post: #11
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Laurie is correct about Isabel's ring. It is in Springfield. Both their initials are on the inside. It was found in her NYC apartment when she died by her granddaughter along with love letters Booth had written her approx. 50 years prior. My wife and I were privileged to hold the ring...with cotton gloves on of course.
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-17-2014, 09:17 AM
Post: #12
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Was Booth even wearing a ring when he died? I honestly don't remember. I want to say he might have been but I might also be thinking of that "mummy ring" they pulled from the impostor Booth's stomach in the 1930s.
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-17-2014, 09:24 AM
Post: #13
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
(09-17-2014 09:17 AM)Jenny Wrote:  Was Booth even wearing a ring when he died? I honestly don't remember. I want to say he might have been but I might also be thinking of that "mummy ring" they pulled from the impostor Booth's stomach in the 1930s.

Hi Jenny. I do not know. I also do not know about the accuracy of this web page, but here is a quote from it:

"It's not part of the exhibit, but Lucy Hale is said to have been secretly engaged to Booth. When Booth was captured, he was wearing a ring from Lucy Hale and carried a small photograph of her, said Thom Hindell, chairman of the trustees of the Woodman Institute Museum in Dover, the Hales' hometown. The Woodman museum also features a Lincoln exhibit."

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/ex...assination
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-17-2014, 09:53 AM
Post: #14
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
Thanks, Roger!! Fascinating stuff!
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
09-17-2014, 10:30 AM
Post: #15
RE: John Wilkes Booth Ring
I can't remember if it was said that this hair ring was the ring Booth was wearing when he was captured or not.... I will check my records to see if I can find the info - if not, Ms. Smyth in California will probably know....

"The Past is a foreign country...they do things differently there" - L. P. Hartley
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 


Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)