Nov 21 at 12:00 PM - Sale 2687 -

Sale 2687 - Lot 212

Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
(SLAVERY & ABOLITION.) Issue of the National Police Gazette with a dramatic illustrated coverage of the John Brown execution. 4 pages, 26¼ x 20 inches, on one folding sheet; fold, dampstaining, moderate wear. New York, 10 December 1859
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Additional Details

The large central image of Brown on the gallows does not seem to be commonly known. Engraved by Risdon, it is captioned "Execution of Captain John Brown, at Charlestown, Virginia, on Friday, December 2, 1859." The composition does not closely resemble the other known views of the execution, but the details of the gallows match other depictions, such as the 10 December and 17 December 1859 issues of Frank Leslie's. Above it are 3 smaller illustrations, of "Captain John Brown Escorted to the Gallows by the Military"; a portrait of Brown's military advisor Colonel Hugh Forbes; and another portrait of Virginia prosecutor Andrew Hunter. Detailed coverage of the trial and execution extends through most of the second page.

The pre-Civil War issues of the National Police Gazette are not frequently seen; we have traced only one other example of any pre-war issue at auction since 1969.

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