Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Brady, Mathew B., fl. 1823-1896; [Seated portrait of John H. Surratt]

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02194 Author/Creator: Brady, Mathew B., fl. 1823-1896; Place Written: s.l. Type: Photograph Date: 1868 Pagination: 1 albumen : b&w ; 37.5 x 30.0 cm. Order a Copy

One portrait of John Harrison Surratt, Jr., taken by Mathew Brady in 1868.

In the wake of Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, investigators suspected Surratt of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to murder the President. Surratt fled the country and remained in hiding abroad as the other accused conspirators stood trial, his mother among them. He was finally arrested by U.S. officials in Alexandria, Egypt, on November 23, 1866, and stood trial in 1867. As the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict, a mistrial was declared to try him again. As the statute of limitations ran out on the case before he could be tried anew, Surratt was released, never to be tried again or convicted for his alleged role in the assassination.

Surratt, John H. (John Harrison), 1844-1916
Brady, Mathew B., 1823-1896

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources