Manhunt: Chasing Lincoln's Killer February 14, 2009

A new exhibit at the Newseum reveals how Lincoln’s death and the hunt for his killer also marked a turning point in how news was reported.

The exhibit was created in collaboration with James L. Swanson, Edgar Award-winning author of the New York Times best-seller "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer," and features 40 artifacts and documents from Swanson’s personal collection, many of which are being displayed publicly for the first time. Artifacts on display include an original Ford’s Theatre playbill for "Our American Cousin," the play Lincoln was attending the night John Wilkes Booth shot him; an original poster advertising a $100,000 reward for the capture of the assassins; rare newspaper extra editions reporting the assassination; mourning memorabilia that marked the nation’s sense of loss; and a decorative flagpole that adorned Lincoln’s catafalque. Two priceless artifacts — a fragment from the dress worn by "Our American Cousin" lead actress Laura Keene and stained with Lincoln’s blood, and a lock of Lincoln’s hair framed with flowers from his coffin — will join the exhibit for a limited time beginning April 14, the 144th anniversary of the assassination of President Lincoln.

Metro:Archives/Navy Memorial Penn-Quarter, or Judiciary Square