Sepia Saturday: Junius Booth
The subject of this dageurreotype is Junius Brutus Booth. Daguerreotype of Junius Booth from the Library of Congress Daguerreotype Collection. He was born in London in 1796 to Richard Booth, a lawyer, and Jane Elizabeth Game Booth. He displayed remarkable acting talent quite early in his life and committed to a stage career by the time he was 17. Just after he turned 19 in 1815, he married Marie Delannoy. They had many children, but only one survived infancy. Meanwhile, his career was thriving. He gained acclaim for his performance as Richard III in London at the Covent Garden Theater in 1817. He performed in several Shakespearean productions with Edmund Kean, the foremost tragedian actor of the time. In other words, Junius's career took off. . . . and so did he, leaving his wife and sole surviving son behind in 1821. He and his mistress Mary Ann Holmes left for the United States. They settled in Bel Air, Maryland and purchased a house which they remodeled and ...