It is easily the most recognizable poster in American history. You've seen it. Three grainy, oval-shaped portraits of men with dark hair and stern expressions staring back at you across a century and a half of history. At the top, in bold, stark lettering, it screams "REWARD" followed by a staggering $100,000. This john wilkes booth wanted sign isn't just a piece of paper; it’s a snapshot of a nation in total, vibrating panic.
On April 14, 1865, the world broke. Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre, and by the next morning, the President was dead. The government didn't just want the killer. They wanted blood. They wanted order.
Most people think these posters were plastered on every brick wall in Washington by the time the sun came up on April 15. That’s actually a myth. Printing took time. The chaos in the War Department was real. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was basically running the country from a small house next to the Petersen House where Lincoln lay dying, and his first priority wasn't graphic design. It was a manhunt.
The Design of the John Wilkes Booth Wanted Sign
If you look closely at an original john wilkes booth wanted sign, you’ll notice something kind of weird. John Wilkes Booth is in the center, obviously. But he’s flanked by John Surratt and David Herold.
Why those three?
The War Department, specifically the Adjutant General’s Office, issued this specific broadside on April 20, 1865. That is six full days after the assassination. Think about that. For nearly a week, the most famous man in America was on the run, and the official "famed" poster didn't even exist yet.
There were earlier versions, sure. Some were just text. Some were small handbills. But the big one—the one collectors would sell their souls for today—came later. The portraits themselves are fascinating. They aren't drawings. They are actual photographic prints (albumen prints) pasted onto the paper. Because the technology to print photos directly onto newsprint or posters wasn't quite there for mass production, laborers had to manually glue these tiny photos onto the broadsides. It was incredibly labor-intensive.
You can actually feel the texture on the rare originals.
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The $100,000 reward was a fortune. In 2026 dollars, we’re talking millions. Specifically, the breakdown offered $50,000 for Booth and $25,000 each for Surratt and Herold. The text warns that anyone harboring these men will be treated as accomplices in the murder of the President. It was a "death warrant" for anyone who even gave them a glass of water.
Why Some Posters Look Different
History is messy. If you go on eBay or visit a gift shop at a National Park, you’ll see dozens of versions of this poster. Most are fakes. Or "reproductions," to be polite.
The most valuable version is the one with the photos pasted on. However, there is a second state of the poster where the images of the three fugitives were printed via woodblock or lithography. These were cheaper and faster to produce as the manhunt dragged on and moved into the rural areas of Maryland and Virginia.
Spotting a Real One (or at least a good fake)
Honestly, if you find one in your attic, don't get your hopes up too high until you check the paper. Most "antique" posters found in old homes are 1960s-era reproductions. They often use paper that was chemically treated to look "old" and crinkly. It’s too brown. Real 19th-century rag paper ages differently—it's more of a brittle cream or tan, and the ink has a specific "bite" into the fibers.
- The Glue: On the primary version, look for the edges of the photos. You should be able to see where the albumen print ends and the broadside begins.
- The Typeface: The "REWARD" at the top uses a specific slab-serif font popular in the mid-1800s.
- The Secretary's Name: It is signed by Edwin M. Stanton.
Interestingly, many people don't realize that John Surratt—the guy on the left—actually escaped. He fled to Canada, then England, then Italy (where he joined the Papal Zouaves), and eventually Egypt. He wasn't captured until 1866. When he finally stood trial, it ended in a hung jury. He lived until 1916. Imagine that. One of the men on the most famous wanted sign in history just... went on with his life for fifty years.
The Manhunt and the Reward Money
The john wilkes booth wanted sign worked, but maybe not how you’d expect. It didn't lead to a "Citizen’s Arrest" by a random farmer who recognized Booth’s face from a tree-mounted poster.
Booth was eventually cornered in Richard Garrett’s barn on April 26. He’d been on the run for 12 days. The 16th New York Cavalry was the unit that caught up with him. They didn't need a poster to know who he was; he was the most famous actor in the country. It would be like trying to hide if you were Brad Pitt today.
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But the reward money? That caused a massive legal headache.
Everyone wanted a piece. The soldiers, the detectives, the tipsters—everyone claimed they were the reason Booth was found. Eventually, the $100,000 was split among dozens of people. Investigative heavyweights like Lafayette Baker (the controversial head of the National Detective Police) fought tooth and nail for the lion's share.
Baker was a strange character. He claimed to have masterminded the whole capture. Some historians think he was a genius; others think he was a corrupt thug who bullied his way into the history books. Either way, his name is inextricably linked to the distribution of the posters.
The Dark Reality of 1865 Media
We have to talk about the "Wanted" culture of the time. This wasn't just about justice. It was about vengeance.
When the john wilkes booth wanted sign started appearing, it signaled that the government was no longer just "investigating." They were mobilizing the public into a frenzy. It’s hard to wrap our heads around the tension. The Civil War had just ended days prior. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox on April 9. People were finally breathing again. Then, the shots at Ford's Theatre happened.
The poster was a psychological tool. It told the South: "The war isn't over if you help this man." It told the North: "We are in control."
But it also led to some pretty dark stuff. People who vaguely resembled the men on the posters were harassed or arrested. Mistaken identity was a huge problem because, let’s be real, mid-19th-century photography wasn't exactly 4K. The grainy images on the posters made it easy for a terrified public to see Booth in every shadow.
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How the Poster Became an Icon
So, why does this specific piece of paper still fascinate us?
It’s the hierarchy. At the top, you have the "Great Emancipator" dead, and at the bottom, you have the "Actor-Assassin." It’s the ultimate American tragedy printed on cheap paper.
Today, an original john wilkes booth wanted sign from the first printing can fetch anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000 at high-end auction houses like Heritage or Sotheby's. They are incredibly rare. Most were torn down, weathered by rain, or thrown away once Booth was killed and the conspirators were hanged.
I remember talking to a collector once who mentioned that these posters are "blood relics." That sounds morbid, but it’s true. They are the physical remains of the moment the American trajectory shifted forever. If Booth hadn't been caught, or if he’d escaped to Mexico, the Reconstruction era would have looked completely different. The poster represents the closing of the net.
What You Should Do If You Are Interested in This History
If you're genuinely interested in the john wilkes booth wanted sign, don't just look at pictures online. You can actually see originals in person if you know where to look.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, has an incredible collection. The Smithsonian, obviously, holds some of the most pristine versions. But for a real "vibe" of the era, you have to go to Ford’s Theatre in D.C. Standing in the basement museum, just feet away from where the assassination happened, and seeing that reward poster—it hits differently. It’s not just a "collectible" anymore. It’s a piece of a crime scene.
Key Takeaways for Collectors and History Buffs:
- Check the images: If the photos are printed as part of the page (not pasted on), it's a "second state" or a later reproduction.
- Watch for the "S": In some famous fakes from the early 20th century, there are tiny typos in the smaller text at the bottom.
- Size matters: Real broadsides are large—typically around 24 by 12 inches. If it's letter-sized (8.5x11), it's definitely a modern copy.
- The "Coffee Stain" Trick: Many scammers "age" paper using tea or coffee. Real foxing (age spots) looks like tiny rust-colored dots, not large, sweeping brown stains.
Basically, the hunt for John Wilkes Booth didn't end in 1865. In a way, it continues through these posters. We are still obsessed with the details, the "what ifs," and the faces of the men who tried to topple a government by pulling a trigger in a theater box.
If you ever find yourself at an estate sale and see that familiar "REWARD" header peaking out from a folder, take a second. Look for the pasted photos. Check the texture of the paper. You might be holding the most important piece of paper in American criminal history.
To truly understand the impact of this artifact, your next step should be to look up the "First State" versus "Second State" versions of the April 20th broadside. Understanding the subtle differences in typography between the War Department’s various printings is the only way to distinguish a true historical relic from a mid-century reprint. Study the specific placement of the albumen photographs, as their alignment often varied slightly by the hand of the individual clerk who assembled them. Visit the Library of Congress digital archives to view high-resolution scans of the Surratt and Herold variants to compare against any physical specimen you encounter.