(RADICALISM) Mammoth satirical photograph of a proposed monu

Sale 2324 - Lot 293

Price Realized: $ 1,375

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750

(RADICALISM.) Mammoth satirical photograph of a proposed monument to the Haymarket martyrs. Albumen photograph, 21 1/4 x 15 inches, on original mount with printed caption reading "Entwurf eines Denkmals für die gefallenen Chicagoer Gesellschaftsretter, vom 4ten Mai 1886," 25 x 16 1/2 inches to sight; closed tear on mount extending 3 inches into blank area of photograph, minor foxing and toning. Not examined outside of mat. [Chicago, 1886?]

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A spectacular mammoth collage photograph commemorating the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago. While the printed caption is in German, the photograph itself bears numerous English slogans, including "People awake!" at the base of the composition. A group of imprisoned men are labeled "Labor Agitators," while Liberty sits shackled and Justice wears a gag. A collage of a riot scene is flanked by images of the Haymarket judge Joseph Gary and prosecutor Julius Grinnell, both brandishing nightsticks. Standing atop the composition are five policemen with nightsticks raised, captioned "Constitution of the U.S.--Power is Law!" This compelling image was likely the product of the same Chicago German-American anarchist community as the convicted Haymarket bombers. It is unattributed and no other examples are known.