Wanted Posters collection, 1914-1988

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Summary

Abstract:
Miscellaneous posters collected by Westchester County, New York precinct. Posters of wanted criminals collected by an unknown police detective in Westchester County, New York. Posters are from the United States and Canada. Collection includes some well-known criminals such as Lester Gillis, alias Baby Face Nelson; Mary Evelyn Frechette, alias Mrs. John Dillinger; Arthur “Doc” Barker; mobster Roger Touhy; and bank robber Frank Nash. Radicals from 1970s include Weather Underground member Cathlyn Platt Wilkerson, Symbionese Liberation Army member Kathleen Soliah; and Black Liberation Army fugitives JoAnne Chesimard (Assata Shakur) and brother Mutulu Shakur.
Extent:
3 Linear Feet
2350 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.01340

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of posters of wanted criminals collected by an anonymous police detective in Westchester County, NY during the 20th century. Posters are from the United States and Canada. The bulk of the collection is from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. The collection includes some well-known criminals such as Lester Gillis, alias Baby Face Nelson; Mary Evelyn Frechette, alias Mrs. John Dillinger; Arthur "Doc" Barker; mobster Roger Touhy; and bank robber Frank Nash. Radicals from the 1970s include Weather Underground member Cathlyn Platt Wilkerson; Symbionese Liberation Army member Kathleen Soliah; and Black Liberation Army fugitives JoAnne Chesimard (Assata Shakur) and her brother, Mutulu Shakur.

The collection includes approximately 2,250 small-format wanted posters, most measuring 8 x 8 inches. Posters range in size and condition, many with manuscript markings or inked stamps, and some are trimmed and pasted onto printed mug shot cards. The collection was first arranged geographically, then further divided chronologically. Well-known criminals aforementioned are located in their indicated folders. Posters from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are included in the folders marked "District of Columbia." Folders are alphabetized in each box, with the exception of the District of Columbia, which occupies Box 2 entirely.

Biographical / historical:

These posters were collected by an anonymous detective of the Westcheser County, NY police department.

Acquisition information:
The Wanted Posters Collection were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2013.
Processing information:

Processed by Anthony Meyer, April 2014

Encoded by Anthony Meyer, April 2014

Accession(s) described in this collection guide: 2013-0192

Materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials


Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48-hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Before you visit:
Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
Preferred citation:

Wanted Posters Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.