1865 HOLLYWOOD

FULLY AUTHENTICATED BY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES, THIS STRAND OF PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S HAIR IS FROM A LOCK REMOVED BY SURGEONS TO ACCESS THE FATAL WOUND CAUSED BY A SINGLE BULLET FROM THE GUN OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH ON APRIL 14, 1865. THE SURGEONS GAVE THE LOCK OF HAIR TO MARY TODD LINCOLN, WHO LATER PRESENTED THE LOCK TO DR. CHARLES SABIN TAFT, WHO HAD ATTENDED TO HER HUSBAND ON THAT FATEFUL NIGHT. DR. TAFT WILLED THE LOCK TO HIS SON CHARLES C. TAFT, WHO SOLD IT TO MAJOR WILLIAM H. LAMBERT ON MARCH 12, 1908. THE LOCK WAS ENCASED IN A SIMPLE GOLD BOX INSCRIBED, "THE ENCLOSED LOCK OF HAIR GIVEN TO DR. CHARLES S. TAFT ONE OF THE ATTENDING SURGEONS, APRIL 15, 1865". UPON LAMBERT'S DEATH, HENRY C. HINES OF NEW JERSEY PURCHASED THE BOX AND KEPT IS SEALED. HE ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION, "WAS BOUGHT FROM HIS SON CHARLES C. TAFT BY WILLIAM H. LAMBERT MARCH 11, 1908. THE SEALED GOLD BOX DID NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL 1993, WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED AMONG THE ESTATE BELONGINGS OF A CLOSE ACQUAINTAINTANCE OF MR. HINES. THE LOCK OF HAIR WAS THEN SEPARATED INTO 300 STRANDS AND SOLD TO PRIVATE COLLECTORS.

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