“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
- Abraham Lincoln
As I write this, Piper Theatre is presenting the World Premiere of John P. McEneny’s “The Lincoln Dress.” It’s a ghost story inspired by the mysterious disappearance of the cursed dress worn by Clara Harris on the night of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Harris was seated next to Lincoln in the Presidential Box at the Ford Theatre. Her dress was stained with his blood.
We (myself, McEneny, Vasile Flutur, Aaron Novak, Annie Montgomery, and Bettina Goolsby ) made these haunting portraits to mark the beginning of the play’s global tour. They are inspired by Alexander Gardner’s mugshots of John Wilkes Booth’s co-conspirators. Gardner’s haunting photos were taken in the days leading up to the July 7th, 1865 execution of Lewis Powell, Mary Surratt, David Herold, and George Atzerodt.
Today I learned that our photos were honored by the Prix de la Photographie Paris. We are deeply thankful for the consideration, humbled to be included in this extraordinary chorus of artists.
“In this modern age of technological and scientific advances, it is art, creativity, and especially photography and its ability to focus our attention on the issues and events transpiring around us that is helping to keep us anchored to our humanity, to our compassion, even to our sense of humor.”
- Hossein Farmani, Founder and President of PX3.
To learn more about “The Lincoln Dress” CLICK HERE.
and to see more of the outstanding work honored by the PX3 this year, CLICK HERE.
