Lincoln’s Bloodstained Gloves Fetch $1.52M at Historic Auction

A recent auction of President Abraham Lincoln's personal effects turned heads, with a pair of bloodstained leather gloves stealing the show. Worn by Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre on the fateful night of April 14, 1865, when John Wilkes Booth assassinated him, these gloves fetched an astonishing $1.52 million, including buyer’s premium. The auction, held by Freeman’s/Hindman in Chicago, saw 136 of 144 items sold, raising $7.9 million to help the Lincoln Presidential Foundation settle a 20-year-old loan.

Other treasures included a handkerchief from that tragic night, sold for $826,000, and a wanted poster featuring Booth and two other suspects, which went for $762,500. A notebook from 1824, showcasing the earliest known sample of Lincoln’s handwriting, brought in $521,200. These artifacts, part of a 1,540-item collection acquired in 2007 for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, offered a tangible connection to a pivotal figure in American history.

The sale underscores our enduring fascination with Lincoln, whose life and death continue to resonate. Yet, the high prices raise questions about who gets to own such relics of democracy—and whether they belong in public hands rather than private collections.