Thesceneisoftendescribed:
OnthenightofApril14,1865,PresidentAbrahamLincolnwenttoFord’sTheatre.HeandMrs. Lincolnsatinaspecialboxabovethe stage.

Duringtheplay,amanenteredthebox.HewasafamousactornamedJohnWilkesBooth.BoothwasupsetoverhowtheCivilWarhadended.HeblamedLincoln.HeaimedagunatLincolnandfired.Whatfollowedwas chaos.

Tomakehisescape,Boothleapedfromthepresident’sboxontothestage.Onthewaydown,Booth’sbootcaughttheedgeofadecorativeflag.Hestumbledashelanded,breakinghis leg.

“Sic semper tyrannis! ” heshoutedtothepanickedaudience—Latinfor“Thusalwaystotyrants.”Hefledthestageandjumpedonhiswaitinghorse outside.

Morethan150yearshavepassed,buttheeventsofthatnightremainfresh—especiallyforthosewhovisitFord’sTheatretoday,inpersonoronline.Manyoftheartifacts,orobjects,fromthatnighthavebeencarefullypreserved.Theseitemsareapowerfullinktoourpast.Theyhelpuslearn,andtheyhelpus remember.

TheflagthatBoothcaughthisfootonisonesuchitem.Thatmorning,amessengerfromtheWhiteHousehadcometothetheatertorequestticketsfortheevening’sperformance.Thepresidentandfirstladywouldmakeimportant guests.

JamesR.Ford,brotheroftheaterownerJohnT.Ford,quicklyvisitedtheTreasuryDepartmenttoborrowfiveflagstodecoratethepresidentialbox.Fouroftheflagsweretheregular,36‑starAmericanflagsoftheday.Thefifthflagsportedahand‑paintedeagleemblemondarkbluesilk.Thisflagwasanchoredtothemiddleoftheboxbya flag pole.AsBoothfell,hisspurtoretheedgeoftheflag—atearthatremains today.

NowkeptunderglassattheNationalParkService’sMuseumResourcesCenterinMaryland,theflagisoneofmorethansixmillionartifactstobecaredfor.TheyareallobjectsofhistoricsignificancefrominandaroundWashington,D.C.TheycomefromsuchplacesasFord’sTheatreorfrom thehomeofabolitionistFrederick Douglass.

Onlyasmallnumberofitemscanbeshowninmuseumsandothersites.Somearetoofragile.Others,toolarge.Mostly,therearejusttoomanytodisplay.Whatcannotbedisplayedmustbecarefullystoredinasafe,secure,andenvironmentallystable way.