William Henry Ireland: Poet, Law Clerk, and Forger

A copy of William Henry Ireland's forged "Shakespeare" play, Vortigern, goes on display at the British Library beginning April 15th. When first performed, the play caused quite a lot of debate over its authenticity. More here from the Telegraph.

For more on William Henry Ireland's origins and his history as a forger, poet, and sometime law clerk, see the Smithsonian Magazine. 

And remember, National Poetry Month begins April 1st...

Hoaxes and Frauds and Swindles, Oh, My

Some really entertaining law-related articles in the current issue (titled "Swindle and Fraud") of Lapham's Quarterly (Spring, 2015). Check out Lewis H. Lapham's "Paper Moons," David Samuels' "A Fish Tale," (about Herman Melville's literary hoax), a map of "Land Grabs" (questionable real estate), "Life Imitates Life," (a little something from Oscar Wilde), a column on Harry Houdini and more. Link to the whole fascinating issue here.

Portrait of a Lady

Patricia Cohen explains how the famous portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln, which has hung in the Lincoln Presdential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, for decades, has been determined to be not of Mrs. Lincoln but of an unknown woman. Barry Bauman, the conservator who pieced together the history of the altered portrait, says the man behind it and its story is Lew Bloom, who sold the entire package to Lincoln's graddaughter.  The Lincoln Library will announce the findings on April 26th, the anniversary of the death of John Wilkes Booth.