Conspirator's Portraits

[L Verge]

I had to wait until I got to work this morning to verify that Michael had used the photo I thought he had. Sorry, Pamela, but you are mistaken in your assessment. Mr. Schein used the photo from the original that I described last night. As I said, the original is still in the hands of the family, and both James O. Hall and Harris & Ewing were too highly professional to resort to trickery - and had no reason to do so.

It may be difficult for you to swallow, but there are period mentions of Mrs. Surratt being a "belle" (there's that nasty Southern word again) in the area in her younger days. She was raised by a fairly prosperous, widowed mother from a good family. She received a good education through the Sisters of Charity. Why is it so hard to believe that she was attractive, well-dressed, and gentile -- at least in the 1840s and 50s before age, a hard marriage, health problems, and financial difficulties brought on wrinkles? I sure wish I looked the same in photos now as when I was first married! Don't you?