How famous was Booth before he killed Lincoln?

November 15, 2006 9:49 AM

How famous was John Wilkes Booth before he shot Lincoln?

I recognize the difficulty of historical comparative fame, but how well known was Booth before he assassinated Lincoln?

Most accounts call Booth a "famous stage actor" and leave it at that. I'm curious to know how well known that would have made him. Famous among Shakespeare enthusiasts in the Chesapeake Bay, or known by the masses in the hinterlands? Would people hearing the news of Lincoln's death have recognized the name of his killer?

posted by cramer to Grab Bag (10 answers total)

Junius was Martin Sheen, Edwin was Charlie Sheen, John was Emilio Estevez
posted by matteo at 9:54 AM on November 15, 2006

Known by the masses in the hinterlands. The Booths were the (shudders) Baldwins of their day. Booth's eldest brother, Edwin, was probably the Alec Baldwin of their family.
posted by anastasiav at 9:55 AM on November 15, 2006

and on a more serious note, you should read American Brutus, it's a great book
posted by matteo at 9:57 AM on November 15, 2006

Booth was famous enough that if he was in town you'd know about it. This is true in the north and the south. Rumor has it that Booth was actually in the Confederate government's secret service, though it was never proven, and his notability and profession let him into places he might not have otherwise been allowed (as well as being able to travel to the south so frequently).
posted by sporky at 10:03 AM on November 15, 2006

Booth's eldest brother, Edwin, was probably the Alec Baldwin of their family.

I think that would make John the Stephen Baldwin, which makes sense since Stephen is a complete freakin nut job as well.
posted by mcstayinskool at 10:33 AM on November 15, 2006

Manhunt (which leans a little more toward Johnny Depp) is another book about the Lincoln assassination that is worth checking out.
posted by gnomeloaf at 11:03 AM on November 15, 2006

Read Sarah Vowel's Assassination Vacation.

Booth was the Brad Pitt of his day. The Fords Theater tour guide said so.
posted by tkchrist at 1:05 PM on November 15, 2006

Response by poster: What these answers lead me to wonder is if comparing an actor from the 19th century to one from the 21st century, whether Stephen Baldwin or Brad Pitt, is a fair proposition. Aren't the scales completely different, or am I underestimating the machinery of fame of the age?

I suppose I thought he'd have been as famous as a well-known writer/lecturer might be now. If you care about David Sedaris, you'd know when he was in town. If not, you'd be clueless.

Thanks for the reading suggestions.
posted by cramer at 1:36 PM on November 15, 2006

I recently saw a television documentary on Booth and the Lincoln assassination. In it they made a big deal about how well known and handsome JWB was -- so handsome, in fact, that chambermaids at hotels he stayed at would compete to change his bed linens just so they could handle the sheets that touched his body.

I swear I'm not making this up, even though it sounds far-fetched.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the documentary, but it was on the National-Science-History-Learning-Documentary Channel... or one of those.
posted by CMichaelCook at 2:29 PM on November 15, 2006

If you're a fan of Broadway musicals, you should take a listen to Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. I'm a big fan of the recent revival starring Neil Patrick Harris.
posted by ColdChef at 7:01 PM on November 15, 2006