I visited a few years ago and took the self guided tour. Very interesting...when I walked up the stairs and made it to the plexiglass door at the balcony entrance...basically where Booth stood at the moment it happened, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was standing where he stood...chills is an understatement.
Great tour, Chris! The original Lincoln deathbed is now in the Chicago History museum. The one displayed at Peterson house closely resembles it. I looking forward to visiting these. Many thanks!
I didn’t have the chance to tour the theater when I went to DC last January, but stood right outside. Just amazing to see these historic building in person.
Went to Ford’s years ago. Incredible experience! Have to admit getting very emotional there when I first walked in..just hit me hard. Thanks for the great tour 🙏🏻
General Grant was eventually elevated to the rank of four star general, promoted over the rank of three star lieutenant general. He was never a five star general of the army. There was some controversy at the time of his promotion to four star general because George Washington’s highest rank was a three star lieutenant general. Nevertheless, it was done.
Visited and toured Fords Theater and the Peterson house my only Visit to Washington in 1972..13 years old... already fascinated by the whole assassination story
What a sad day for our country, unfortunately my very earliest clear memory is my mother crying when I was 3 in 1963, the assassination of JFK, obviously I didn't know that but the sight of my mother crying imprinted itself on my psyche and my memory. Great content. Thank you. God bless America. 🇺🇸
What a thorough examination of an event of such importance. Thank you so much for not only your walkthrough of Ford's Theater, but also your research of its history. I appreciate the hard work you put into every video.
I was there in either 2018 or 2019, and you could go upstairs, they had a replica of the train and coffin that carried President Lincoln for DC to Illinois
DC is a complete no-go zone for anyone valuing their safety. And I don't mean just from the street criminals. God forbid you get into any trouble, you will be tried & convicted by a partial jury & sentenced by a Soros back judge.
You did an excellent job with this tour I would have only suggested One addition: film The back Alley behind Ford's theater where Booth came running out after his evil deed and a stagehand whose name I believe was peanuts burrows was supposed to hold the horse for booth before his exit out of the town. The reason he had to hold the horse was the stable owner James w Pumphrey who's buried at Congressional cemetery (a short biography of Mr Pumphrey resides on the Congressional cemetery website) told him when he (Booth) went to rent the horse Friday afternoon (along with his friend John surratt), "not to tie the horse up because it had been known to break the brida"l it was a wild 'Bay mare'.
Thanks for the tour - I am fortunate to have been to both the theater and the house about 10 yrs ago -- they have added quite a bit!! There is a sadness about it as you are there. They say that his wounds today would not have been fatal most likely - but of course this didn't happen today . . . Thank you President Lincoln for changing history in a very important and necessary way!
I talked to a great NPS Ranger at Ford’s Theatre. He discussed in depth the Booth family and also Sgt. Boston Corbett who killed John Wilkes Booth (Sgt. Boston Corbett is a fascinating character).
@@scottklocke891 There is speculation that his exposure to mercury as a “hatter” may have contributed to his character. Then, he was held at the infamous Andersonville Prison which was essentially a Civil War concentration camp with swamp maladies.
Back in 2010 I drove to Detroit (from Oregon ) just to see the HENERY FORD Museum...... to stand close to THE Chair in the case was very interesting ....... sad that the Lincoln Train cars etc. were lost .... would have been a fantastic addition to the museum.
Sadly, the death bed is a replica, you can tell by the number of footboard posts and the corner post differences. Also, the Lincoln monument in Springfield IL where he is buried is worth a visit.
Additionally, the rocking chair in the presidential box at Fords Theater is also a replica. The actual rocker used by President Lincoln on the night of April 14, 1865 is at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan and is also well worth a visit.
went there to Fords when i was 14 went to dallas when i was 50. its eerie for sure and i felt the same at gettysburg picketts charge area. highly charged moments in history.
Awesome tour! I was there in March of 2023, so the closure of the upstairs area must have been "relatively" recent. They used to have a fairly interesting museum up there, if I remember correctly a big part of it was regarding the fate of the conspirators.
Fantastic tour! Please consider touring the Dr Samuel Mudd House & Mary Surratt house. It would make a wonderful compliment to this video. I know you are busy, but keep them coming!
I've never been to Ford's Theatre, but the displays you showed remind me a lot of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL, which I visited a few years ago.
Thank You for a great video ! but it is so sad what happened to a great President and I ask myself how did his wife feel when he died the next day because Lincolin's wife Mary was the first lady and she was with him when he was shot at point blank range by a man who was not worth 1 cent
I’ve visited Ford’s Theater twice, once in 1969 when I was a kid and once in 2000 when I was an adult. I like music and I like loud hard rock music, but I found it hard to believe city leaders would allow a Hard Rock Cafe in such close proximity to a historical building like Ford’s. The sound of heavy base music was inescapable, and was an unwelcome distraction for visitors that should not have been allowed. Thankfully, I have the memories of when I was a kid, an experience that those who visit now never will.
Just a friendly note: It is much more plesant to watch your videos (especially with headphones), when the sound is on both ears. It is very easy to fix that during editing. But the beginning of the video was very informative and fun to watch (couldn't stand watching to whole video with mono sound)
To the left of the Peterson house is Lincoln’s Waffle Shop. I go to DC for Awesome Con a lot and like to stop there before the convention at least once during the weekend; always awesome to go by there and see the Peterson house and Ford’s Theatre. Gives me chills every time.
Awesome video, truly love Fords theater and tell everyone to go if they can. Can anyone help me find support for the statement about John Breckinridge renting the peterson house while he was vice president? (I love breckinridge as a historical character, never heard that he had rented the peterson house. CRAZYTOWN.
Chris, yeah the emancipation proclamation was given in 1863. Did Lincoln believe that the Southern states that had succeeded were gonna stop fighting and all of a sudden say oh Lincoln has proclaimed it so it’s a done deal? Personally I think Lincoln had 2 reasons. 1. To infuriate the South. 2. To gain political strength for his reelection. As you said he was a politician. He had territories joining the union and he wanted to make sure they entered as free states. That’s when he decided to make the war between the states about slavery. He saw that as a political talking point. Much like modern politicians grab a point of interest today. History and those that bend it have run with the war was all about slavery….it wasn’t not even to Lincoln.
A little off topic, but, I have sons named Lincoln, Jackson and Kennedy. At no point was it intentional to all be presidents. I just wanted to have my children’s names be strong names when they are older, like business men. My sister once pointed out to me they are all presidents names, I guess subconsciously that is what I was going for. And maybe why I found this video! Love it! New subscriber! ☺️
Just for historical accuracy....that .44 caliber ball does not come close to weighing an ounce....an ounce is 437 grains and that ball is in the 130 to 140 grain area. Surprised that has never been corrected. Not sure if someone else commented on this as I did not read all the comments.
Another banger sir! Finally got to sit down and watch this! I tried to go there on my last trip to DC but they were closed. I heard that is not the actual gun. Can you confirm?
@@VATravels everything I’ve been reading online says that the gun in Ford theater is indeed Booth’s. There are some interesting/ entertaining conspiracy theories out there about where the “real” one is! Ha :)
Interesting video however would of liked to see different angle of exactly where Lincoln sat in his booth , prehaps from rear angle ? , show angle where booth actually assassinated Lincoln from behind if all possible ?
I was touring the Peterson house, and saw the bedroom where they took President Lincoln. I had tears in my eyes, and had to get out of there. This incredible, brave, honorable man has always been one of my heroes. Too bad more leaders don't have that sort of integrity today.
My best friend Elijah may he rest in peace, was the nephew of president Lincoln. Even though I was best friends with Elijah for a long time and I mean a long time. From 7th grade till he died in 2020. His mom and sister excepted me as their second son and brother. But his mom did a DNA test and found out that is related to Mary Todd Lincoln. His mom looks like Mary Todd Lincoln as well. And since his mom accepted me as her second son she said I can call them Aunt Mary and Uncle Abe. And I'm going to.
Great Video Man but just 1 thing - John Wilkes Booth was a murderer NOT an actor. Booth might have started out an actor , but ended up a murderer. But this Video is Great & Thanks for the tour because I'll Never get over there to visit in person ( I'm sorry to say ) so this is the next best thing !!! Again Great Video 👍🏻🪙👍🏻
Hey Chris -- great video as always, but you've stepped in it now so buckle up for another of my extended comments. 😊 Hopefully you and your viewers find what follows interesting and useful as context. Ford's Theater and the Petersen House were the very first historic sites I remember visiting. It was February 1968, a few weeks after the reconstructed theater opened to the public. I was 5 1/2, and we lived just outside DC in Wheaton, MD. There was huge hoopla about the reopening at the time -- including a nationally televised star-studded opening ceremony-- and this was our last visit into DC before moving to NC days later (where I remain). This was one of those key events that led to a lifetime career as an historian and museum professional. What I saw that day blew my young mind away. It was a spectacular reconstruction -- the interior was entirely new, as the original was purposefully gutted in late 1865 by the War Department so that it would neither be used again as a theater nor become a macabre shrine. Also amazing to me was the new state-of-the-art Lincoln musem exhibit in the basement. I have the brochure I got that day somewhere -- but look on ebay right now and you'll see one (dated 1967), full of images and info all done in sepia tones and red ink. Very striking and very modern for the time, like everything else about the new site. What of course I didn’t know until I became a museum professional was the long, convulted history of the site. Nor was I aware in that youthful bubble that what opened in early 1968 was largely the result of John F. Kennedy's assassination just over 4 years earlier, and public sentiment at the time. Much linkage between Lincoln the martyr and JFK the martyr and comparisons between the two were being made then. In a real sense, the historical Lincoln assassination helped the nation grapple with the still raw JFK assassination. In fact, Congress failed to pass legislation authorizing money for the Ford's Theater reconstruction and new museum in the summer of 1963 while JFK was still alive -- but passed it in 1964 months after his death. Remember too that this opened in early 1968 -- just months before the assassinations of MLK and RFK. Crazy times. OK, I could go on about the lower level museum and it's original mid- century modern exhibits (changed in the late 1980s) as well as the shock of seeing the actual pistol, bullet, and Lincoln's bloody clothing on display. Not to mention the blood stained pillow under plexiglass on the bed where he died at the Petersen House. Remember, the JFK assassination was still fresh and raw. These were like religious relics, and the public swarmed to see the newly restored sites. We could also discuss the huge battle before Ford's reopened over making the reconstruction also a functioning theater (which it remains today) as many people thought doing so inappropriate and disrespectful. But this comment is long enough! 😊
Went there a couple ago. The pistol I thought was very very cool, especially if it is in fact the actual pistol, I mean it's just kind of hard to comprehend, something so significant from so long ago. They have one of Booths' tall boots that he was wearing the night he slid on Lincoln. The same boot he broke is leg in jumping from the balcony onto the stage. The boot displayed has a long cut where the doc had to make to remove the boot from his broken leg. That is of course if it's the real deal, which it looks pretty legit, so thats so cool to see as well. It was cool also to check out the back alley of the building where booth made his escape from the theater, which kind of surprisingly was a successful get away escape. Until it wasn't. It's interesting to wonder what things would have been like had this never happened. I don't think it would have made things much different than the way God intended
I read they kept some skull fragments and I have no idea why someone would do that sounds disrespectful to me. We all know he was assainated but do we need to see parts of his skull?
Fun Fact: In the early 19 century Ford Theatre was built much taller and the booths were located higher up. John Wilkes Booth broke his leg after attempting to slide down a flag and breaking the pole that held it. People present were panicking, but some swore they heard a loud snap or crunch as Lincoln's assassin made the leap of fate. Unfortunately he didn’t get far and was eventually caught. As you can see in the video, they’ve clearly modified it to meet OSCHA standards by adding padded floors and remolding the building to make it less steep of a fall.
I visited a few years ago and took the self guided tour. Very interesting...when I walked up the stairs and made it to the plexiglass door at the balcony entrance...basically where Booth stood at the moment it happened, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was standing where he stood...chills is an understatement.
Great tour, Chris! The original Lincoln deathbed is now in the Chicago History museum. The one displayed at Peterson house closely resembles it. I looking forward to visiting these. Many thanks!
Bah that’s what I get for filming and not reading. lol. Yeah, it’s a great site, definitely in the upper tier of ones I’ve been to.
And his chair that he got shot in is in the Henry ford museum in Michigan
I didn’t have the chance to tour the theater when I went to DC last January, but stood right outside. Just amazing to see these historic building in person.
Hey my friend, thanks for the video. That is something I will never be able to see in person in my lifetime. Thanks again. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Went to Ford’s years ago. Incredible experience! Have to admit getting very emotional there when I first walked in..just hit me hard. Thanks for the great tour 🙏🏻
Yea man it's pretty powerful. Thanks
@@VATravelsthey really did a good job with the museum. It’s been years since my last visit and none of it was there
No pics of the tavern where Booth was waiting getting drunk?
The Surratt boarding house is located just a few blocks away in Chinatown and is now a Chinese restaurant called Wok and Roll.
😆
General Grant was eventually elevated to the rank of four star general, promoted over the rank of three star lieutenant general. He was never a five star general of the army. There was some controversy at the time of his promotion to four star general because George Washington’s highest rank was a three star lieutenant general. Nevertheless, it was done.
If I am not mistaken there are procedures in place that keep Washington as the highest-ranking Officer regardless. I don't know when it started.
Those are Freemason gestures " hands in shirt".
@@THE-michaelmyershis wife started the rumor
Good job on the tour. I really want to go now.👍🇺🇸
Most of the museums are free entrance, but the restaurants and parking gets you
What an amazing tour. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome!
That was awesome. Thank you I am Australian and I love history.
I have to say Sir you did a great job taking us through those historic places. Thank you SO much really. I really enjoyed the tour. Take care
Fords th.was gutted so it's not where Abe actually walked and what he saw but it's and exact replica of what ford's looked like inside
His chair that he got shot in is at the Henry ford museum in Michigan
Great video, thank you - Heather
Thank you!
Visited and toured Fords Theater and the Peterson house my only Visit to Washington in 1972..13 years old... already fascinated by the whole assassination story
What a sad day for our country, unfortunately my very earliest clear memory is my mother crying when I was 3 in 1963, the assassination of JFK, obviously I didn't know that but the sight of my mother crying imprinted itself on my psyche and my memory. Great content. Thank you. God bless America. 🇺🇸
Thanks for the tour. I hope to see it some day.
@ 6:38 "Making sure he looks good?" I think that's a pocket watch and not a mirror.
Yeah,I realized when I watched it back.
What a thorough examination of an event of such importance. Thank you so much for not only your walkthrough of Ford's Theater, but also your research of its history. I appreciate the hard work you put into every video.
I was there in either 2018 or 2019, and you could go upstairs, they had a replica of the train and coffin that carried President Lincoln for DC to Illinois
Very cool
First stop was Baltimore where I'm from.
Having grown up near there I'm 100% surprised you were mugged while there.
DC is a complete no-go zone for anyone valuing their safety. And I don't mean just from the street criminals. God forbid you get into any trouble, you will be tried & convicted by a partial jury & sentenced by a Soros back judge.
You did an excellent job with this tour I would have only suggested One addition: film The back Alley behind Ford's theater where Booth came running out after his evil deed and a stagehand whose name I believe was peanuts burrows was supposed to hold the horse for booth before his exit out of the town. The reason he had to hold the horse was the stable owner James w Pumphrey who's buried at Congressional cemetery (a short biography of Mr Pumphrey resides on the Congressional cemetery website) told him when he (Booth) went to rent the horse Friday afternoon (along with his friend John surratt), "not to tie the horse up because it had been known to break the brida"l it was a wild 'Bay mare'.
They should being the original bed backto peterson house
Thanks for the tour - I am fortunate to have been to both the theater and the house about 10 yrs ago -- they have added quite a bit!! There is a sadness about it as you are there. They say that his wounds today would not have been fatal most likely - but of course this didn't happen today . . . Thank you President Lincoln for changing history in a very important and necessary way!
I talked to a great NPS Ranger at Ford’s Theatre. He discussed in depth the Booth family and also Sgt. Boston Corbett who killed John Wilkes Booth (Sgt. Boston Corbett is a fascinating character).
Corbett is a fascinating wacko
@@scottklocke891 There is speculation that his exposure to mercury as a “hatter” may have contributed to his character. Then, he was held at the infamous Andersonville Prison which was essentially a Civil War concentration camp with swamp maladies.
They should have brought a runaway slave to go get Booth in the tobacco barn & let him "rip Booth to shreds"😅😅
Back in 2010 I drove to Detroit (from Oregon ) just to see the HENERY FORD Museum...... to stand close to THE Chair in the case was very interesting ....... sad that the Lincoln Train cars etc. were lost .... would have been a fantastic addition to the museum.
I live 5 minutes from the HFM, and have never been there. 😂
Great video. Every time I see this place, I wonder what it was like back then, and I try to put myself there that night.
Interesting video - thanks! Chuckled at your Boss Hogg reference.
😆
Great video. Thanks for posting. Have always wanted to visit but likely will never be able to. Great views of the scene.
Sadly, the death bed is a replica, you can tell by the number of footboard posts and the corner post differences. Also, the Lincoln monument in Springfield IL where he is buried is worth a visit.
Additionally, the rocking chair in the presidential box at Fords Theater is also a replica. The actual rocker used by President Lincoln on the night of April 14, 1865 is at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan and is also well worth a visit.
Do you know why they moved the bed? Seems like a piece that should’ve remained where it was.
Hey thanks for sharing this, some really fascinating stuff! I can only imagine being there.
Great video, very cool to see the real artifacts and the locations, excellent job!
👍
Yea it was a great tour. Great site to visit!
Great tour! I lived in the DC area for years and I never knew you could visit the Ford Theatre. Hope I can go back one day.
went there to Fords when i was 14 went to dallas when i was 50. its eerie for sure and i felt the same at gettysburg picketts charge area. highly charged moments in history.
Just saw the rocker Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot at the Henry Ford Museum.
The War Department tore apart the theater after Lincoln's death. Pretty sad. They had to restore it in the 1960s I think.
Awesome tour! I was there in March of 2023, so the closure of the upstairs area must have been "relatively" recent. They used to have a fairly interesting museum up there, if I remember correctly a big part of it was regarding the fate of the conspirators.
Fantastic tour! Please consider touring the Dr Samuel Mudd House & Mary Surratt house. It would make a wonderful compliment to this video. I know you are busy, but keep them coming!
Thanks! Oh yea I'm most definitely going to go. Going try and make it work this Spring. 🙏
If being late is the worst thing that happens on this trip, wrap it up, I'll take it.
Thank You for the tour.
The actual chair he was sitting in when he was shot is in the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan.
Great Video!!
I've never been to Ford's Theatre, but the displays you showed remind me a lot of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL, which I visited a few years ago.
going into the vip room and showing doors to enter as booth did would have been the final touch. is that dude taking on stage practicing?
I actually know Joanne Hulme her great great grandmother was John Wilkes Booths Aunt. She also is married into the family on another side.
Hi! Thanks for the tour. I was there just a few months ago and spent hours.
I have been 2-3 times to see plays. I can only describe the experience as eerie.
I really appreciate you making this video! 🇺🇸 😊
The prettt snowfall really set the mood of the video
great video thank you
Thank you, you did a great job.
Great upload - nice filmed 👏🏼👏🏼
Been there a couple of times and watch a play one of the times. Late 1980's.
I've been there too. awe inspiring. thanks for this vid.
awesome video thanks for posting !
Thank You for a great video ! but it is so sad what happened to a great President and I ask myself how did his wife feel when he died the next day because Lincolin's wife Mary was the first lady and she was with him when he was shot at point blank range by a man who was not worth 1 cent
I’ve visited Ford’s Theater twice, once in 1969 when I was a kid and once in 2000 when I was an adult. I like music and I like loud hard rock music, but I found it hard to believe city leaders would allow a Hard Rock Cafe in such close proximity to a historical building like Ford’s. The sound of heavy base music was inescapable, and was an unwelcome distraction for visitors that should not have been allowed. Thankfully, I have the memories of when I was a kid, an experience that those who visit now never will.
Thank you so much for this video! It is excellent!
Thanks!
Love your videos, but your auto focus searches constantly. Great information!
Just a friendly note: It is much more plesant to watch your videos (especially with headphones), when the sound is on both ears. It is very easy to fix that during editing.
But the beginning of the video was very informative and fun to watch (couldn't stand watching to whole video with mono sound)
To the left of the Peterson house is Lincoln’s Waffle Shop. I go to DC for Awesome Con a lot and like to stop there before the convention at least once during the weekend; always awesome to go by there and see the Peterson house and Ford’s Theatre. Gives me chills every time.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m surprised that you didn’t show us the interior view of the box. Was it closed?
Thank you!!
Awesome video, truly love Fords theater and tell everyone to go if they can. Can anyone help me find support for the statement about John Breckinridge renting the peterson house while he was vice president? (I love breckinridge as a historical character, never heard that he had rented the peterson house. CRAZYTOWN.
Enjoyed the tour!
Thanks!
Chris, yeah the emancipation proclamation was given in 1863. Did Lincoln believe that the Southern states that had succeeded were gonna stop fighting and all of a sudden say oh Lincoln has proclaimed it so it’s a done deal?
Personally I think Lincoln had 2 reasons. 1. To infuriate the South. 2. To gain political strength for his reelection. As you said he was a politician. He had territories joining the union and he wanted to make sure they entered as free states. That’s when he decided to make the war between the states about slavery. He saw that as a political talking point. Much like modern politicians grab a point of interest today. History and those that bend it have run with the war was all about slavery….it wasn’t not even to Lincoln.
Dealey plaza ought be a historic place too
A little off topic, but, I have sons named Lincoln, Jackson and Kennedy. At no point was it intentional to all be presidents. I just wanted to have my children’s names be strong names when they are older, like business men. My sister once pointed out to me they are all presidents names, I guess subconsciously that is what I was going for. And maybe why I found this video! Love it! New subscriber! ☺️
Just for historical accuracy....that .44 caliber ball does not come close to weighing an ounce....an ounce is 437 grains and that ball
is in the 130 to 140 grain area. Surprised that has never been corrected. Not sure if someone else commented on this as I did not read all the comments.
Another banger sir! Finally got to sit down and watch this! I tried to go there on my last trip to DC but they were closed. I heard that is not the actual gun. Can you confirm?
Dang pretty sure it's the real one? Not sure
@@VATravels everything I’ve been reading online says that the gun in Ford theater is indeed Booth’s. There are some interesting/ entertaining conspiracy theories out there about where the “real” one is! Ha :)
That was neat, thanks
Meanwhile according to Al Gore by 2013, we'll never see snow again and this is in DC!
Building was totally gutted after the floor collapse. Nothing inside is original.
Interesting video however would of liked to see different angle of exactly where Lincoln sat in his booth , prehaps from rear angle ? , show angle where booth actually assassinated Lincoln from behind if all possible ?
Thank U most Enjoyable 😉
Thank you
I was touring the Peterson house, and saw the bedroom where they took President Lincoln. I had tears in my eyes, and had to get out of there. This incredible, brave, honorable man has always been one of my heroes. Too bad more leaders don't have that sort of integrity today.
What hero? Lincoln was going to send all the Africans back to Africa after the war.
Biden might not have integrity but he still enjoys sniffing young girls hair.
My best friend Elijah may he rest in peace, was the nephew of president Lincoln. Even though I was best friends with Elijah for a long time and I mean a long time. From 7th grade till he died in 2020. His mom and sister excepted me as their second son and brother. But his mom did a DNA test and found out that is related to Mary Todd Lincoln. His mom looks like Mary Todd Lincoln as well. And since his mom accepted me as her second son she said I can call them Aunt Mary and Uncle Abe. And I'm going to.
That place gave me a headache last time I was there
Not as bad as Abe's.
Great Video Man but just 1 thing -
John Wilkes Booth was a murderer NOT an actor. Booth might have started out an actor , but ended up a murderer.
But this Video is Great & Thanks for the tour because I'll Never get over there to visit in person ( I'm sorry to say ) so this is the next best thing !!! Again Great Video 👍🏻🪙👍🏻
None of Ford's theater is real. All reconstructed to resemble the original theater.
You should visit the Thomas Stone house in Port Tobacco Maryland. He's my 5 times great uncle and signed the Declaration Of Independence
Oh yea that's a great site. I've actually been and put up a video about 4mo ago
@@VATravels I was stationed in Norfolk/Virginia Beach area from 1989-2003 while in the Navy...
When you say that was where he was shot, wasn’t the building converted into offices after?
“Look this is where one of if not the greatest presidents of all time was shot…oh look plaster pretty”😂
Good video
Sic Semper Tyrannis, Lincoln the usurper of the revolution and first emperor.
Hey Chris -- great video as always, but you've stepped in it now so buckle up for another of my extended comments. 😊
Hopefully you and your viewers find what follows interesting and useful as context.
Ford's Theater and the Petersen House were the very first historic sites I remember visiting. It was February 1968, a few weeks after the reconstructed theater opened to the public. I was 5 1/2, and we lived just outside DC in Wheaton, MD. There was huge hoopla about the reopening at the time -- including a nationally televised star-studded opening ceremony-- and this was our last visit into DC before moving to NC days later (where I remain). This was one of those key events that led to a lifetime career as an historian and museum professional.
What I saw that day blew my young mind away. It was a spectacular reconstruction -- the interior was entirely new, as the original was purposefully gutted in late 1865 by the War Department so that it would neither be used again as a theater nor become a macabre shrine. Also amazing to me was the new state-of-the-art Lincoln musem exhibit in the basement. I have the brochure I got that day somewhere -- but look on ebay right now and you'll see one (dated 1967), full of images and info all done in sepia tones and red ink. Very striking and very modern for the time, like everything else about the new site.
What of course I didn’t know until I became a museum professional was the long, convulted history of the site. Nor was I aware in that youthful bubble that what opened in early 1968 was largely the result of John F. Kennedy's assassination just over 4 years earlier, and public sentiment at the time. Much linkage between Lincoln the martyr and JFK the martyr and comparisons between the two were being made then. In a real sense, the historical Lincoln assassination helped the nation grapple with the still raw JFK assassination. In fact, Congress failed to pass legislation authorizing money for the Ford's Theater reconstruction and new museum in the summer of 1963 while JFK was still alive -- but passed it in 1964 months after his death. Remember too that this opened in early 1968 -- just months before the assassinations of MLK and RFK. Crazy times.
OK, I could go on about the lower level museum and it's original mid- century modern exhibits (changed in the late 1980s) as well as the shock of seeing the actual pistol, bullet, and Lincoln's bloody clothing on display. Not to mention the blood stained pillow under plexiglass on the bed where he died at the Petersen House. Remember, the JFK assassination was still fresh and raw. These were like religious relics, and the public swarmed to see the newly restored sites.
We could also discuss the huge battle before Ford's reopened over making the reconstruction also a functioning theater (which it remains today) as many people thought doing so inappropriate and disrespectful.
But this comment is long enough! 😊
Oh wow, I appreciate the information and appreciate you sharing. Didn’t realize JFK‘s assassination sparked its opening as a museum.
Went there a couple ago. The pistol I thought was very very cool, especially if it is in fact the actual pistol, I mean it's just kind of hard to comprehend, something so significant from so long ago. They have one of Booths' tall boots that he was wearing the night he slid on Lincoln. The same boot he broke is leg in jumping from the balcony onto the stage. The boot displayed has a long cut where the doc had to make to remove the boot from his broken leg. That is of course if it's the real deal, which it looks pretty legit, so thats so cool to see as well. It was cool also to check out the back alley of the building where booth made his escape from the theater, which kind of surprisingly was a successful get away escape. Until it wasn't. It's interesting to wonder what things would have been like had this never happened. I don't think it would have made things much different than the way God intended
I read they kept some skull fragments and I have no idea why someone would do that sounds disrespectful to me. We all know he was assainated but do we need to see parts of his skull?
President George Washington was promoted to 6 stars in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.
Thank you for the apostrophe.
Fun Fact: In the early 19 century Ford Theatre was built much taller and the booths were located higher up. John Wilkes Booth broke his leg after attempting to slide down a flag and breaking the pole that held it. People present were panicking, but some swore they heard a loud snap or crunch as Lincoln's assassin made the leap of fate. Unfortunately he didn’t get far and was eventually caught. As you can see in the video, they’ve clearly modified it to meet OSCHA standards by adding padded floors and remolding the building to make it less steep of a fall.
So many incorrect statements in this!
@@davidgreene8914
I don’t care what you say. I know my shit.
@@MrScaryPasta You’re right! What you know IS shit! 😂
I think Lincoln had a thing for booth. he invited him to come to the White house.
Been there. JMNWGN 🎉🎉🎉
I visited both places in 1976
How did the people in the illustration fit around that bed?
Did you need to phone ahead for this visit?When i went to the birth place of Thomas Edison i was turned away.
You can just walk in. Although may be better to buy a ticket online as they get pretty busy.
@@VATravelsgot it.
“Outside of that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?”
John Wilkes booth for president!