December 6-8, 2023 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/8/2023
The renowned Dr. John K. Lattimer collection contained 3 stage daggers belonging to John Wilkes Booth. One, a short, crude dagger with retracting blade was sold in 2008. The family retained, until now, these 2 decidedly functional and rather more impressive daggers, originally acquired by Lattimer from author, writer, and Civil War historian Philip Van Doren Stern in 1963, who himself had purchased them indirectly from the family in 1938. They are accompanied by a photocopy of Van Doren Stern's signed and dated note of provenance to Lattimer on the back of his personal card: "These two knives, one with the tip broken, were bought by me in 1938 as part of a collection of John Wilkes Booth material which included and oil portrait from [his?] life, a signed photo, a signed sheet of music, etc. all authentic. These were said to be his stage knives. The material I was told, had been acquired from the family. Philip Van Doren Stern November 5, 1963." Also included is a copy of a photo by Lattimer showing both these knives together and his list of Booth artifacts in his collection where these are listed as: "A STAGE DAGGER OF HANDSOME DESIGN, WITH A SILVER GRIP" and "A SILVER HANDLED BOWIE-TYPE KNIFE, OF PERIOD TYPE." The first is a dagger, 11" overall with 6 - 1/4" blade, tapering, double edged, with median ridge and spearpoint tip. The cruciform crossguard is flat, in line with the blade, and has Maltese cross type ends. Grip and crossguard are silvered. The grip is oval in cross section with ferrules at the base, 3 flutes and ribs above, followed by symmetrical floral sprays and a fan-shell on either side. The top of the pommel and edges of the grip show solder repair for about 1 – 3/4" along the seam, indicating some rough handling on stage in accord with Booth's well-known theatrics. The blade has good surface, edge, and point, showing as a muted silver gray with some darker gray spots and a little brown next to the guard. One side of the blade bears Lattimer’s small inventory number "154" in faded white. A leather blade pad at the shoulder is missing. In form the dagger would be appropriate for a Shakespearean performance or Renaissance drama. The second knife is a robust Bowie made and marked on the left ricasso by "R. BUNTING / & SON / SHEFFIELD" with their spread-winged eagle with craning neck above. The Bunting firm had been in business since about 1822. This particular blade mark dates about 1856-1865, when Richard Bunting ran the firm with his son Henry. The knife measures 13 - 1/2" overall. The blade is 8 - 3/4" inches, with 1 - 1/8" wide ricasso and blade 1 - 1/2" wide at bottom, flat, spearpoint with false edge extending 5 - 1/4"inches back from the tip. The lower edge shows numerous shallow chips. The tip is very slightly rounded and seems to have been repointed, corresponding to Van Doren Stern’s note about the tip being broken. The surface is a mix of bright and gray, with some shallow freckling and a little raised corrosion on the left near the tip. The guard is a flat oval. The silvered grip is a recurved "S" in form, consisting of flower stems flowing down from the guard, up again and curling under at the pommel, embellished with raised flowers on the underside near the guard, on the top midway, and on the sides and top of the pommel. The top of the pommel shows some battering, likely from rough treatment on stage, similar to that shown by the hilt of the dagger. In form it would fit a western, frontier, or foreign drama. The right ricasso bears Lattimer's inventory marking in white "153" over "JKL." Booth related artifacts are extremely scarce. Edwin Booth is well documented as having destroyed elements of his brother's personal and theatrical wardrobe that came into his possession while on tour, including several other stage weapons. Some few other artifacts remained in the family. The date of Van Doren Stern's acquisition of the knives corresponds with the delayed publication of Asia Booth Clark's memoir of her brother, an attempt to slightly ameliorate his reputation.
Item Dimensions: Longest: 14"
Blade Length
(A) 8 - 3/4" (B) 6 - 1/4"
Overall Length
(A) 13 - 1/2" (B) 11"
Paperwork
Letters of Provenance.