Photograph by
Lee, Bud, American, 1941 - 2015
Subject of
Bass, Joe, American, born 1955
Unidentified Man or Men
Date
July 1967
Medium
photographic gelatin and silver on photographic paper
Dimensions
H x W (Sheet): 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm)
H x W (Image): 6 7/16 × 9 7/16 in. (16.4 × 24 cm)
Description
A black and white photograph of a street scene at an intersection. There are two police cruisers and police wagon with officers armed with rifles standing in the street. On the sidewalk, an officer is standing in front of a “One Way” traffic sign, holding a rifle, and looking off to the left. On the driver’s side of the police wagon is a child lying in the street, severely injured, in a pool of blood. The child pictured is 12 year old Joe Bass, who had been caught in the crossfire as a police officer shot a man named Billy Furr. Bass was hit twice with stray bullets, once in the neck and once in the thigh. A different photograph of Joe Bass, also taken by LIFE staff photographer, Bud Lee, but from another angle, gained worldwide attention after its publication on the cover of LIFE magazine for the July 28, 1967 issue.
Place depicted
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Movement
Civil Rights Movement
Type
gelatin silver prints
Topic
Children
Civil rights
Photography
Race discrimination
Race relations
Race riots
U.S. History, 1961-1969
Urban life
Violence
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.57.10.4
Restrictions & Rights
© Bud Lee
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd57f260b70-fd56-4df8-9e19-d93465395027

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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