The 30 Minute Rule begins April 15 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By April 15 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT
Rare original unissued 'Orchestra' level ticket from Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., bearing two circular date stamps, "Ford's Theatre, APR 14, 1865, This Night Only," the date of the performance of Our American Cousin when assassin John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln. The yellow ticket, 4.25" x 1.75", is imprinted on the left side, "Ford's Theatre., Friday., Orchestra," with the lower "Section" and "No." fields left blank. The right side carries the printed signature of "Jas. R. Ford, Business Manager," below the following text: "Ford's Theatre …. Washington. / Reserved Chair – Friday, In Orchestra! Good This Night Only. / Give this portion of the Ticket for entrance to the Door-keeper." The reverse is annotated in a contemporary hand: "R.S. Biggard, 1534 Tioga St., Phila." In fine condition, with a light vertical fold.
The circular April 14th date stamps match those seen on both known, authentic used tickets as well as on unissued examples, including a similar unused yellow 'Orchestra' level ticket held by the Shapell Manuscript Foundation, whose reverse bears a handwritten certification, signed by John M. Haseltine and dated July 14, 1865, stating that the ticket is an original from the evening of Lincoln's assassination and was presented to him personally by James R. Ford.
That notation is significant: Ford was barred from accessing Ford's Theatre — including its box office — following the federal government's seizure of the building after the assassination. He did not regain entry until July 1865. At that point, he was able to retrieve surviving box office stock and, as the Haseltine inscription confirms, present examples to acquaintances as mementos.
Also consistent with this history are the unissued tickets published in the Restoration of Ford's Theatre Historic Structures Report. This ticket almost certainly shares that provenance. The blank "Section" and "No." fields indicate it was never issued to a patron; it survived intact in the box office because Ford had no access to distribute it until three months after the performance for which it was printed.
