LYNCHING The lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abraham Smith

Sale 2377 - Lot 297

Price Realized: $ 938

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

Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200

LYNCHING. The lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abraham Smith. Silver print real photo postcard by Lawrence Beitler, 3-1/2 x 5 inches. Marion, Indiana, 1930

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A gruesome image of a notable lynching. This is a variant on the usual postcard sized image which was printed lengthwise, showing more of the onlookers. The latter image appears as Number 31 in James Allen's extraordinary compilation 'Without Sanctuary' (Twin Palms, 2003). The story of Shipp and Smith (and the youngest, James Cameron) is a familiar one. Accused of raping a white woman--a peculiarly Southern obsession--these three teenagers were being held in jail, when an angry mob broke in and carried them off to be lynched. At the last moment, Cameron, who looked 'very boyish,' was spared. The NAACP investigated, there was even a trial of the ringleaders, but all were found innocent.