Printing plate of Willie Francis
date: label: Date
content: May 1947
name: label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Willie Francis, American, 1929 - 1947
label: Used by
content: The Chicago Defender, American, founded 1905
notes: label: Caption
content: In 1947, 18-year-old Willie Francis faced the death penalty for a second time after his first execution failed. Francis was a juvenile offender sentenced to death at age 16 for the 1945 murder of Andrew Thomas in Louisiana. Despite protests from around the country for a stay of execution, the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court failed and Governor J. Emile Verret scheduled the execution. Francis was executed on May 9, 1947. The case was covered in detail by the Chicago Defender who shared stories about the trial, case, and activists fighting to help aid Francis.
label: Description
content: A printing plate of Willie Francis featured in the Chicago defender. The image depicts Francis sitting in the Parish County jail in New Iberia, Louisiana, looking toward the camera, and holding a calendar with the number 9 circled, the date for his scheduled execution. The back of the plate has an inscription [Willie Francis / 50, 530].
place: label: Place made
content: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: New Iberia, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Activism
label: Topic
content: Black Press
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Mass media
label: Topic
content: Prisons
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Chicago Defender Publishing Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.18.5.12
objectType: label: Type
content: printing plates
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Chicago Defender Publishing Company
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on zinc
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 5 9/16 × 3 7/8 × 1/16 in. (14.1 × 9.8 × 0.2 cm)