Description
The first edition of The Unlocked Book: A Memoir of John Wilkes Booth by his sister, published in 1938.
Octavo, 205pp. Green cloth, title stamped in gilt. No additional printings noted. Burgundy topstain. Complete with 15 plates. Faint foxing to front endpapers and title page, otherwise appears unread. In the publisher’s scarce dust jacket, price clipped, chip at head of spine, light toning to spine, a bright, very good example. (Monaghan 3611)
Asia Booth Clarke (1835-1888) was an American actress, writer, and the sister of John Wilkes Booth. She penned a memoir titled The Unlocked Book in 1874, which provided insights into her brother’s life and the Booth family dynamics. She kept the book a secret from her husband, who emigrated to England after the Lincoln assassination. The book was published by her heirs in 1938 and republished with the title: John Wilkes Booth: A Sister’s Memoir in 1996.
