Vintage Postcards of Execution and Murder

Postcards were a way for the common man and woman to collect photo memorabilia of events at a time where cameras were expensive and not readily available. Unlike today, where most postcards are pictures of cityscapes, animals or weird boring fields of tulips, early postcards would be of subjects you would never expect to see today – lynchings, executions and murders. Postcardman.com has a vast collection of vintage postcards for sale, on all sorts of interesting and morbid subjects. Today I’ve got a selection from their catalog of execution souvenirs and famous murderers. It’s not always easy to see the gore, but some of these are pretty hardcore – I can’t picture them on somebody’s fridge, that’s for sure. Check these out below, and you can order them and see the full collection at Postcardman.com.

USA – Washington. State : The body of John Tornow, “Wild Man of the Wynoochee” killed during spring 1913, a year and a half after killing two teenage boys on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

Orleans : Execution of Languille (with the Guillotine) in 1905.

BELGIUM – Brussels : Rammler, German soldier shot down because he refused to shoot down Mrs. Cavell (a British nurse accused of being a British Spy during World War 1 and sentenced to death).

FRANCE – Corse (Corsica) : A. Bellacosscia, Corsican outlaw.

FRANCE – Valence : On September the 22th, 1909 (Triple execution. Guillotine) of Urbain Liottard, Louis Berruyer and Octavive David, famous french outlaws nicknamed the “Chauffeurs de la Drôme” because they tortured their victims with fire.

FRANCE – The mystery of Eygurande : The body of Mr. Deau, found headless in the forest. We never know what happened to him.

FRANCE – Near Reims : Execution of a German Spy during World War 1, he was catured while he was signalling the French positions to the Germans with a light. He confessed that he was paid 100 french francs each information he gave to the Germans.

ETHIOPIA – Addis Abeba : Hanging on the market square.

POLAND – Augustowka : Austrian soldiers hanging a Russian spy during World War 1.

CHINA – On the border with Vietnam : Head of pirate exposed.

IRAN / PERSIA – After the hanging, the body is exposed to the public.

CHINA – After the execution of 3 natives.

TUNISIA – Le Bardo : A Hanging.

MEXICO – After an execution, the officer makes sure that they are all dead.

See more at Postcard Man