A photograph showing members of the Military Tribunal tasked with trying and sentencing eight individuals implicated in conspiracy plots involving 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) and two other statesmen. Printed ca. 1910, and from the personal collection of world-renowned Lincoln collector Frederick H. Meserve (1865-1962). Discretely signed in stone at lower right. Expected surface wear including isolated gentle wrinkles to the photo and minor foxing to the Meserve inscribed paper slip, else near fine. The photo holder has a blunted corner, else near fine. The photo measures 2.125" x 3.25" while the slotted and annotated photo holder measures 10.875" x 4.375" completely unfolded.

The photo is housed in a stock paper holder inscribed in Meserve's hand at left as: "Judge Holt and / the Military Court" and at right as: "Names of the Military." The photo is hand-stamped "Collection / Of / Americana / Frederick H. Meserve / 265 Edgecombe Avenue / New York City" verso. A paper slip also inscribed in Meserve's hand lists the names of the twelve commissioners and prosecutors. 

The photograph of "Judge Holt and the Military Court" was originally taken by Alexander Gardner (1821-1882), who was hired by the federal government to document the imprisonment and execution of the alleged conspirators. It is possible, though unlikely, that Meserve printed this photograph from original negatives since the photograph is signed in stone as "Copyright 94 / by M. Price" in the lower right corner. Nevertheless, the photo shows a satisfying level of sharp detail.

Eight individuals were arrested and eventually tried for their roles in the coordinated plan to simultaneously assassinate Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, William H. Seward, and Ulysses S. Grant on April 14, 1865. A 9-person Military Tribunal was commissioned by President Andrew Johnson to fully investigate the conspiracy. The judicial review was military instead of civilian because the defendants were viewed as enemy combatants during war time. A military court also had less restrictive sentencing parameters.

The Lincoln conspiracy trial took place over a seven-week-long period, from May 9 through June 28, 1865. Verdicts and sentencing were announced on June 30th, and President Andrew Johnson authorized the execution of four of the eight defendants on July 5th. The execution of Mary Surratt, David Herold, George Atzerodt, and Lewis Powell (sometimes called Lewis Payne) took place on July 7, 1865 at Washington's Old Arsenal Penitentiary, today Fort Lesley McNair. Samuel Arnold, Michael O'Laughlen, and Samuel Mudd were sentenced to life imprisonment while Edmund Spangler received a term of six years.

The photograph depicts Military Tribunal commissioners and prosecutors, following Meserve's inscription from right to left:

1. Joseph Holt (1807-1894), U.S. Army Judge Advocate General

2. Major Henry L. Burnett (1838-1916), U.S. Army Assistant Judge Advocate General

3. U.S. Congressman from Ohio John Armor Bingham (1815-1900), U.S. Army Assistant Judge Advocate General

4. Brigadier General Robert Sanford Foster (1834-1903)

5. Brigadier General August V. Kautz (1828-1895)

6. Major General David Hunter (1802-1886), Presiding Commissioner

7. Major General Lew Wallace (1827-1905)

8. Colonel James Adams Ekin (1819-1891)

9. Brigadier General Albion Parris Howe (1818-1897)

10. Brevet Major General Thomas Mealey Harris (1817-1906)

11. Colonel Charles H. Tompkins (1830-1915)

12. Lieutenant Colonel David Ramsay Clendenin (1830-1895)

Frederick H. Meserve was a preeminent collector of Lincoln and Civil War era photography, ephemera, maps, and books. He began collecting Lincolniana in 1897, with the intention of illustrating his father's Civil War diary. In the early 1900s, Meserve acquired 10,000 original Brady negatives including seven Lincoln portraits. Meserve continued collecting Lincoln likenesses, as well as photos of Lincoln's contemporaries, over the next sixty years. He eventually amassed a collection of 200,000 pieces including some previously "lost" or unknown images of Lincoln. Meserve's collection was so esteemed for its completeness that he essentially became the custodian of "Lincoln's image." Meserve was approached by medal and currency engravers, as well as by the sculptors of Lincoln's Memorial Monument, for direct access to his presidential photographs. In 2015, the Meserve-Kunhardt Collection was acquired by the Yale Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (New Haven, Connecticut.)

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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