Title from caption on object: "Beheading”

October 24, 1943

Japanese 20th Century

Associated Names
Japanese 20th Century

Artist

International News Photos, Inc.

Publisher

This black-and-white photograph shows a blindfolded man kneeling on the ground, with his hands tied behind him. Another man stands next to him, holding a long sword raised above his head with both hands, looking down at the kneeling man. A large group of onlookers is gathered in the background. The kneeling man has pale skin and light, curly hair, while the figure standing above him has slightly tanner skin and wears a hat and glasses. The faces of the onlookers are indistinguishable. The ground appears to be muddy, and the sky is light gray.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print with applied color

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon

  • Dimensions

    image: 24 × 19.4 cm (9 7/16 × 7 5/8 in.)
    sheet: 25.4 × 20.7 cm (10 × 8 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2018.177.360

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Darian Pellicciotti; (sale, Ebay.com); Mary and Dan Solomon, Monarch Beach, CA; gift to NGA, 2018.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

retouching across recto in black ink; on verso, upper center International News Photos copyright stamp in black ink; center printed in purple ink on applied paper inverted: EDITORS; THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS SENT TO YOU FOR USE WITH SERIES / OF STORIES BY RESCUED DOOLITTLE FLIERS, TO BE SENT [TO] YOU / BY INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE FOR FIRST PUBLICATION / SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH. / LF1017015-WATCH YOUR CREDIT. INTERNATIONAL NEWS PHOTOS. / SLUG. (BEHEADING) / ALLIED FLIER BEHEADED BY JAP -- / JAPAN......THIS SNAPSHOT, TAKEN BYA [sic] JAP WHO WATCHED, / SHOWS A JAPANESE OFFICER ABOUT TO DELIVER THE BEHEADING / STROKE TO AN ALLIED FLIER WITH HIS SAMURAI SWORD AS / GRINNING JAP SOLDIERS LOOK ON IN BACKGROUND. THIS / PHOTOGRAPH WAS MADE SOMEWHERE IN JAPANESE OCCUPIED / TERRITORY. THERE IS NO CLUE TO THE NATIONALITY OF THE / VICTIM. (SM-9-8-45)

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