In spring 1970, the tension between Black Philadelphians and the police was a continuum of conflict rooted in police brutality and biased enforcement.
The aggressive “law and order” approach of Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo, sparked ongoing activism by groups like the Black Panther Party and other Black Power organizers pushing back against systemic discrimination — a push that met with heavy policing throughout 1970 and beyond.
By March 1970, racial tension shaped by years of unequal treatment and confrontational policing, caught Mr. Harris in the crosshairs. Guilty or not, black was black and ambiguity was the tool. A context that remains today. While we’ll never know if Mr. Harris was indeed a thief, or one of countless black victims caught in a system of prejudice and injustice. This is the sad and voiceless face of discrimination and defeat. The face of another color.
Image Order: Framed, Insitu, Original, Verso
Original Photograph
Photographer: Unknown (Philadelphia Police Department)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Captured: March 12, 1970
Size: 3 1/4” x 4 1/8”
Printed on: Polaroid
Camera: Unknown
Verso: Mugshot detail
Presentation: Custom box shipped separately
Contemporary Photograph
Size: 35” x 45”
Positioning: Centered
Border: 2”
Paper: Hahnemühle 100% Photo Rag Baryta | Pure Cotton | 315 gsm
Moulding: Solid Wood Museum Shadowbox
Frame Face: 3/4”
Frame Color: Black
Glazing: UV Acrylic
Presentation: Landscape
Authentication
Verisart COA
21 Founders | Initials embedded
In spring 1970, the tension between Black Philadelphians and the police was a continuum of conflict rooted in police brutality and biased enforcement.
The aggressive “law and order” approach of Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo, sparked ongoing activism by groups like the Black Panther Party and other Black Power organizers pushing back against systemic discrimination — a push that met with heavy policing throughout 1970 and beyond.
By March 1970, racial tension shaped by years of unequal treatment and confrontational policing, caught Mr. Harris in the crosshairs. Guilty or not, black was black and ambiguity was the tool. A context that remains today. While we’ll never know if Mr. Harris was indeed a thief, or one of countless black victims caught in a system of prejudice and injustice. This is the sad and voiceless face of discrimination and defeat. The face of another color.
Image Order: Framed, Insitu, Original, Verso
Original Photograph
Photographer: Unknown (Philadelphia Police Department)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Captured: March 12, 1970
Size: 3 1/4” x 4 1/8”
Printed on: Polaroid
Camera: Unknown
Verso: Mugshot detail
Presentation: Custom box shipped separately
Contemporary Photograph
Size: 35” x 45”
Positioning: Centered
Border: 2”
Paper: Hahnemühle 100% Photo Rag Baryta | Pure Cotton | 315 gsm
Moulding: Solid Wood Museum Shadowbox
Frame Face: 3/4”
Frame Color: Black
Glazing: UV Acrylic
Presentation: Landscape
Authentication
Verisart COA
21 Founders | Initials embedded
