"Accused Murderer in Wyoming Jail Cell"
Associated Press
United States, established 1846
January 29, 1958
A gelatin silver press photograph—shown from its reverse—made to carry the caption, adhesive clippings, stamps, and editorial marks that prepared a news image of an accused murderer’s capture for publication.
The reverse presents a collage-like choreography of typewritten caption strips, clipped labels, red and blue date stamps, smudged ink, and penciled cropping notes that make the photograph feel like an active newsroom artifact rather than a finished picture.
This object makes visible the tactile, labor-intensive mechanics of mid‑20th‑century photojournalism—how images were annotated, routed, and edited in print media—and underscores the press’s role in shaping and circulating crime narratives before digital workflows.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
12 3/4 × 9 1/2" (32.4 × 24.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The New York Times Collection
Accession
1941.2001
Palette
Exhibitions
