A photograph of the interior of a torn coat. On the bottom left is an inset showing the embroidery in the inside of the coat. To the right is an image of a statue of Lincoln wearing the coat.
Photo by Carol Highsmith.

Lincoln’s Clothes

High-resolution images of the clothing President Abraham Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theatre the night he was assassinated.

After Lincoln’s assassination, Mary Lincoln bequeathed this custom coat worn by the President the night he was shot to the Lincolns’ favorite doorman, Alphonse Donn.

The Donn family held the coat for over a century, allowing curious visitors to cut out pieces of the bloodstained lining. The souvenir seekers did so much damage that the sleeve separated from the body of the coat.

Ford’s Theatre acquired the coat in 1968. Because of its fragile condition, the coat is not currently on public display. The Ford’s Theatre Museum contains a replica.

Examine the Evidence: Can you identify the image and message sewn into the jacket? How do you express yourself through clothing? Why do you think people wanted to take pieces of the jacket with them?

Lincoln’s Great Coat

Abraham Lincoln was wearing this wool and silk-lined coat when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.

A photograph of the interior of a torn coat. On the bottom left is an inset showing the embroidery in the inside of the coat. To the right is an image of a statue of Lincoln wearing the coat.
Photo by Carol Highsmith.

Details

An embroidered piece of cloth that says, "One Country, One Destiny."
Photo by Carol Highsmith.

One Country, One Destiny

The silk lining bears a hand-embroidered detail: an eagle with a banner reading “One Country, One Destiny,” making Brooks Brothers’s gift meaningful for Lincoln.

Closer Look
Blurry photograph of Abraham Lincoln giving a speech surrounded by men in suits.
 

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural

Lincoln wore this coat as he gave his Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865, and again the night of his assassination.

Photograph of a long black coat. The entire left shoulder is missing, and the rest of the sleeve lays by its side.
Photo by Carol Highsmith.

A Gruesome Souvenir

Lincoln’s blood stained the left shoulder. Over the years, people cut swatches of the fabric for themselves, eventually taking so much that the sleeve separated from the coat.

See a Fragment

Protect Our History

The night of April 14, 1865, forever changed our national history. Together, Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service partner to protect the artifacts from that night. Through these objects, we can better understand how that single event transformed our nation. Give to Ford’s Theatre to help continue sharing the stories that shaped a nation.

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