On July 7, 1865, four people were executed by the federal government for their involvement in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Of the four, no individual is as controversial as Mary Surratt. As a widowed boardinghouse operator, John Wilkes Booth and his conspirators, including her own son, often met in her home plotting against Lincoln. But the question as to how much she knew about their plans has been the subject of debate for over 150 years.
Up for auction is a very unique and personal piece - a supposed strand of hair from the head of Mary Surratt taken at her execution. The strand of hair measures approximately 0.33" long and is affixed to a 8.5" x 11" page with images of Mary Surratt and her execution. The display is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity by John Reznikoff, President of University Archives, certifying his belief that this strand of hair is genuine. University Archives is a premiere auction house and Reznikoff is known for his collection of historic hair (including a lock of hair taken from John Wilkes Booth at his death at the Garrett farm). Also with the signed COA, are two color copies of the hair's provenance. It appears that, at the time of the execution, a soldier by the name of Samuel Curtis with the 8th Regiment was assigned duty at the Old Arsenal Penitentiary. Curtis somehow managed to acquire a lock of Mary Surratt's hair. Eventually, this lock of hair was sold in small sets. This single strand represents a part of one of those sets. I acquired this item several years ago on an online auction. Please see the images below for more details.
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