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 hanging, probably not quite dead yet, from the gallows in Owensboro. 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 one of the only known photographs from the hanging we have ever seen! Issued by the International News and with a full paper caption on the back. We have seen three TOTAL images from this event in twenty years with this one being the only example this particular photograph that actually shows Bethea hanging at the end of a rope known to exist!

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