Murder Illustrated ^Featured

Americans have always loved a good murder story—even more so when accompanied by pictures of the murder. Publishers in the 19th century were quick to learn that their readers had an insatiable appetite for murder stories, and an artist’s rendering of the crime enhanced the story’s appeal. From the moral instruction of the early murder pamphlets to the shocking sensationalism of the yellow journalists, a graphic illustration brought home the message. Though the pictures displayed varying degrees of artistic talent, even the most primitive depictions of murder elicit strong emotions. Fortunately for the publishers, the country appeared to be in a golden age of murder, with Americans continually finding new ways to kill each other. Murder Illustrated presents over 100 graphic murder scenes, a broad survey of the homicidal images. These antique depictions of ghastly crimes present another side to the sensibilities of the Victorian era and continue to challenge those of our own.