Description:

Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow
Arcadia, LA, ca. May 24, 1934
Bonnie & Clyde, Two Vintage Postmortem Press Photos Including "The End of a Gunwoman's Career"
Photographs
Two vintage press photos showing the cadavers of notorious bank robbers Bonnie Parker (1910-1934) and Clyde Barrow (1909-1934) in the Arcadia, Louisiana morgue following the fatal shoot-out. Ca. May 24, 1934. Arcadia, Louisiana. The intensely graphic postmortem photos show Bonnie and Clyde's bodies on operating tables, Clyde's before the autopsy and embalming process, and Bonnie's after. Condition will be elaborated below, but near fine. The Clyde photo measures 8" x 10" while the Bonnie photo measures 7.125" x 9.125." This brace of photos sold for over $500 at a Massachusetts auction house in June 2016.

The photos include:

1. A United Press International press photo showing Clyde in blood-soaked clothes on the operating table, the body surrounded by ghoulishly curious spectators in boater hats. The black and white glossy photo is hand-stamped with the press attribution verso in part: "Please credit / United Press International Photo…" Pencil-inscribed verso with the suggested caption: "Clyde Barrow shot to death near Arcadia, LA, 5-24-34." A manuscript notation in red ink recto reads "p. 49," no doubt referring to the photo's eventual page number. Expected wear including isolated crazing to the photo surface, and minor mounting traces to the upper margin. Else near fine.

2. A Wide World Photo press photo showing Bonnie's sheet-covered body on the operating table. The black and white glossy photo is affixed with a suggested caption typed on green paper: "Wide World Photos. The End of a Gunwoman's Career. The outlaw career of Bonnie Parker cigar-smoking companion of Clyde Barrow, southwest desperado, ended on a roadside near Arcadia, La., May 23, when officers riddled her and Barrow with bullets. The woman, shown here in the Arcadia Morgue, boasted she stood shoulder to shoulder with Barrow and fired shot with her companion in numerous killings and robberies. 5-24-34." Surface wear including wrinkles and a repaired upper left corner. The caption paper is slightly faded. Else very good.

Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down by a handful of Texas and Louisiana lawmen on May 23, 1934 near Gibsland, Louisiana. After spotting Barrow's car, the lawmen opened fire, killing Barrow and Parker and shooting a combined total of about 130 rounds. Barrow was killed instantly, but one lawman reported hearing Parker scream. Any one of the many wounds suffered by Bonnie and Clyde would have been fatal. Accounts vary as to the total tally of bullet wounds found on each bandit's body. Officially, parish coroner Dr. J. L. Wade's 1934 report listed 17 separate entrance wounds on Barrow's body and 26 on Parker's, including several head shots on each, and one that had snapped Barrow's spinal column. Undertaker C. F. "Boots" Bailey had difficulty embalming the bodies because of all the bullet holes. These contemporary press photos document the criminal couple's violent death.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: larger photo measures 8" x 10"
  • Medium: Photographs

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October 30, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000