c. 1970 Civil Rights Poster, Augusta Riots, Unarmed Black Man Killed By Police

Description: AUGUSTA - HE ONLY MADE PAGE 5 This listing is for the rare, original 1970 Civil Rights Poster of an Unarmed Black Man Killed By Police during the Augusta Riots pictured above. On May 9th, 1970, a 16-year-old prisoner named Charles Oatman was found dead in his Georgia jail cell. The official explanation was that he fell off his bunk, or was perhaps beaten by his two cellmates, but he was widely believed to have been killed by prison guards. This triggered widespread rioting in the city of Augusta, GA, which Governor Lester Maddox blamed on a Communist conspiracy. This poster's central image was a UPI photograph of an Augusta “looter” shot to death by the police. The photograph appeared in numerous papers across the country, including on page 5 of the New York Daily News on May 13th, 1970. According to the UPI story in the Greenville (MS) Delta Democrat-Times, "the man fell among candy gumballs with a bullet in his heart. The patrolman who shot the . . . man explained, 'It looked like he went for a gun.' There was no gun on the man." I was able to find only one other example of this poster, which is at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC (in their Political Art Documentation & Delivery Archive). The poster was printed on the reverse of an uncut sheet of 4 New York University letterheads. The poster measures 22” by 17”. It is in excellent condition considering its age and fragility. There is a tiny tear on the lower right edge. There is some minor foxing on the verso. Despite being created nearly half a century ago, this poster carries significant modern relevance. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a striking example of art from the civil rights movement that can only otherwise be seen at the MoMA. Feel free to ask any questions!

Price: 1195 USD

Location: New Hope, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2025-01-01T00:50:37.000Z

Shipping Cost: 15 USD