12mo (184 x 108 mm). (Some very minor spotting and creasing to page corners throughout.) Later plain wrappers (creasing, minor tear along edge of front cover, very light soiling); folding case.

JOHN WILKES BOOTH'S PROMPT BOOK, SIGNED BY HIM ON THE TITLE PAGE.

As the son of celebrated tragedian Junius Brutus Booth, Sr., it was all but assured that John Wilkes Booth would one day follow his father onto the stage. Making his stage debut as Richmond in Richard III at Baltimore's Charles St. Theatre on 14 August 1855, Booth's sister Asia later wrote that "his face shone with enthusiasm, and by the exultant tone of his voice it was plain that he had passed the test night." (The Unlocked Book, p.107) Despite his mother's disapproval, Booth dedicated himself to studying his craft, and when he returned to the stage two years later, he did so under a pseudonym. In this capacity, Booth was often cast as an understudy, usually in comedies and melodramas.

Son of the Night was one of these melodramas. Written by journalist, editor, and later theatrical manager and producer Charles Gayler, the play saw its debut at New York's Broadway Theatre in April 1857 and was staged multiple times in subsequent years. Curiously, one of Gayler's last major successes was a 1870 play entitled Fritz, Our German Cousin.

PROVENANCE:
John Wilkes Booth; Dr. Joseph Adrian Booth (1840-1902), younger brother of John Wilkes Booth; Charles Hamilton Galleries, 12 December 1967, Sale 23; Dr. John K. Lattimer (1914-2007), American medical specialist and Lincoln collector (signature on inside of accompanying folding case); his sale Heritage Auctions, 20 November 2008, Sale 61200 Lot 6014