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Lincoln's Second Inauguration Photograph

Alexander Gardner

Alexander Gardner's photograph of Lincoln's second inauguration, which shows Booth standing in the crowd near the President six weeks before the assassination.

This photograph places Booth in the crowd at Lincoln's second inauguration, weeks before he carried out the assassination.

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Sepia-toned photograph of a large crowd before a building with columns and an American flag. A speaker stands on a raised platform at center. White text labels read 'Abraham Lincoln' near the speaker and 'John Wilkes Booth' above him, near the upper crowd.
Alexander Gardner, photograph of Lincoln's second inauguration with John Wilkes Booth in the crowd, 1865.

About this source

What it is

This is a photograph taken by Alexander Gardner of Abraham Lincoln delivering his second inaugural address to a large crowd. Later examination of the image identified John Wilkes Booth standing among the spectators near the President.

Why it matters

The photograph is striking because it places Booth, Lincoln's future assassin, physically close to the President weeks before the murder. It shows how ordinary public photographs can later take on dramatic historical meaning once we know what happened afterward.

Look closer

  • What does it mean that Booth was present at this public event, seemingly unnoticed?
  • How does knowing who is in a photograph change the way we look at it?
  • What can and can't a photograph like this tell us about someone's intentions?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Wilkes Booth on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Printed 1865 War Department broadside offering rewards for the capture of Surratt, Booth, and Harold. Three photographic portraits appear across the top, labeled Surratt, Booth, and Harold. Large text reads 'THE MURDERER' and lists rewards of $100,000, $50,000, and two $25,000 rewards, with descriptions and a signature by Edwin M. Stanton.Document

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Broadside for the Capture of John Wilkes Booth, John Surratt, and David Herold

1865

Photograph of a small single-shot pistol displayed in a museum case, the weapon used to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.Artifact

Primary source

John Wilkes Booth's Deringer Pistol

Henry Deringer · c. 1860s

Photograph of a small off-white calling card with handwritten pencil text reading 'Don't wish to bother you. Are you at home?' and the signature 'J. Wilkes Booth' with a small underline flourish below.Document

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Calling Card Left by John Wilkes Booth for Andrew Johnson

John Wilkes Booth · 14 April 1865

Black-and-white lithograph of the Lincoln assassination in the Ford's Theatre presidential box. Major Rathbone stands at left pointing. Miss Harris and Mrs. Lincoln sit center. President Lincoln sits in an armchair at right. John Wilkes Booth, labeled Assassin, stands at far right aiming a smoking pistol beside an American flag. Title and publisher text appear below.Painting

Secondary source

The Assassination of President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre

Currier & Ives · 1865

Sepia-toned studio portrait of a seated man with wavy dark hair and a thick mustache. He wears a dark double-breasted coat, a white shirt, and a patterned cravat. He rests one hand on his hip and holds a cane.Photograph

Primary source

Carte de Visite of John Wilkes Booth

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