[Electrocution of Ruth Snyder, Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York]

Tom Howard American

Not on view

In spite of the universal ban on cameras in American death chambers, news editors have long recognized the public’s hunger for eyewitness images of high-profile executions. In January 1928 Tom Howard made tabloid history when he photographed, using a miniature camera strapped to his ankle, the electrocution of the convicted murderer Ruth Snyder at Sing Sing prison in Ossining, New York. The sensational picture ran under banner headlines on the front page of the New York Daily News two days in a row.

[Electrocution of Ruth Snyder, Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York], Tom Howard (American, 1894–1961), Gelatin silver print

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

[Electrocution of Ruth Snyder, Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York], Tom Howard (American, 1894–1961), Gelatin silver print
[Electrocution of Ruth Snyder, Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York], Tom Howard (American, 1894–1961), Gelatin silver print

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.