Friday, June 23, 2017

Grave of a Famous Person: Edwin Booth - Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Watertown, MA

Edwin Booth
Watertown, MA


N42° 22.197 W71° 08.772

Short Description:

The grave of the famous 19th century Shakespearean actor Edwin Thomas Booth is located along Anemone Path in Mount Auburn Cemetery.




Long Description:

The grave of Edwin Booth is marked by a 5 ft. by 2 ft.by 6 in.granite monument with a bronze relief medallion showing the left profile of Booth.  The monument was sculpted by Frank Edwin Elwell in 1895. The architect for the monument was Sanford White. The front of the granite monument is inscribed:

BOOTH

{bronze medallion}

EDWIN BOOTH
BORN NOVEMBER 13, 1833
DIED JUNE 7, 1893

"I WILL TURN THEIR MOURNING
INTO JOY AND WILL COMFORT THEM
AND MAKE THEM REJOICE FROM.
THEIR SORROW" JER XXI 13 


From the Smithsonian Art Inventory, SIRIS, website

The back of the monument has a relief of the masks representing drama and comedy and the inscription from Shakespeare:

 "THE IDEA OF THY LIFE SHALL
SWEETLY CREEP
INTO MY STVDY OF IMAGINATION
AND EVERY LOVELY ORGAN OF
THY LIFE/SHALL COME APPARELED IN
MORE PRECIOVS HABIT
MORE MOVING DELICATE AND
FVLL OF LIFE/INTO THE EYE AND PROSPECT
OF MY SOVL
THAN WHEN THOV LIV'ST INDEED"                                      
                                       SHAKESPEARE

The fame of Edwin Booth has long been overshadowed that of his younger brother John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln.  Edwin Thomas Booth was born in Bel Air, Maryland on November 13, 1833. His father, Junius Brutus Booth, and two younger brothers  Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. and John Wilkes Booth, were also Shakespearean actors. Edwin is considered by many theater critics to be the greatest 19th century American actor. Edwin Booth is also famous for construction of the glamorous Booth's Theater in Manhattan which opened on February 3, 1869,featured Shakespearean productions, and  operated until 1883.

Edwin Thomas Booth died on June 7, 1893. He was 59 years of age.

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