Mr. Lincoln's Opera Glasses?-- Part 1

From the June 8th Washington Post "Lincoln's Opera Glasses from Ford's Theatre to be auctioned."

They were found in the middle of Tenth Street after the president was carried from the theatre to the Peterson House and that fateful night. It was kept by the Union officer who found it and then his family kept it for generations until 1979 when it was sold at auction for $22,000, a record sale for a Lincoln object.

In 2002, it was sold again, this time for $424,000, another record. This time, the black and gold theater glasses Lincoln was believed to have with him when he was shot that night might go for $700,000 at the June 17th Sotheby's auction in New York City.

Also to be sold is a handwritten letter from Robert E. Lee discussing his resignation from the US Army and a flag from the CSS Alabama, so this is a real big-time sale.


HISTORY OF THE GLASSES

The German-made glasses were found by Captain James M. McCamly of the 70th New York infantry regiment who was with the Washington city guard that night. He helped carry Lincoln across the street to the Peterson boarding house. According to the auction catalogue, "As Lincoln was being transported, the opera glasses--perhaps still in Lincoln's hands, perhaps tangled in his clothing-- fell to the street."

McCamly picked them up.

More to Come. --Old B-R'er