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Lot # 1222: 1936 Rainey Bethea, "Last Public Execution in United States History" Important Photo

Starting Bid: $25.00

Bids: 28 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Winter Premier Auction 2020",
which ran from 1/7/2020 10:00 AM to
1/25/2020 8:00 PM



In Kentucky in 1936, public executions were still quite the spectacle, bringing out tens of thousands of people to witness the end of convicts under the legal system. Here we see a 22 year old black man named Rainey Bethea with his hands cuffed and being marched up the gallows in Owensboro to meet his fate. The paper caption from the International News notes that more than 20,000 people had turned out to watch! A tragic photo with obvious racial overtones, this was in fact the LAST public execution of anyone in United States history making this a truly important piece of photography that belongs in a museum! The condition and quality are both outstanding and this is the only known photograph from the hanging we have ever seen!

Size: 8x10
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 4.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 9.5/10

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