"Tom Mooney - The prosecution has no evidence to support a verdict of guilty" 1933, Lithograph.

Edition: 50. Signed and titled in pencil, George Biddle --- Tom Mooney, lower left.

Image: 10 3/8 x 13 3/8 inches (220 x 340 mm). Sheet: 15 5/8 x 11 3/8 inches (397 x 288 mm).

References: Pennigar 1979:27 #110. See Flint (1980) and Langa (2004) for discussions of The Contemporary Print Group.

Excellent condition. Good Margins. A fine clean impression on white wove paper. Scratched into the litho crayon along the lower edge of the impression, are the words, "The prosecution has no evidence to support a verdict of guilty." In a major miscarriage of justice, militant and socialist, Tom Mooney (1882-1942) was imprisoned for a bombing in San Francisco in 1916. Sentenced to death, a judgment later commuted to life imprisonment, he was finally released in 1938 - though there was clear evidence of Mooney's innocence by at least 1921. Mooney spent over twenty-two years in prison as a series of California Governors refused to deal with the politics of his case. He died in 1942.

A print of the Contemporary Print Group first folio - 1934. This image was originally slated to be produced in an edition of 300 and to be distributed by The Contemporary Print Group. The Group planned two portfolios to be released throughout 1933 and 1934. This print was to be included in the first production. The first portfolio, The American Scene No. 1, was priced at $15.00 ($2.50 per print) and was intended to be distributed to subscribers only. The first issue consisted of six prints done by six artists: George Biddle, Jacob Burck, Adolf Dehn, George Grosz, Reginald Marsh, and Jose Orozco. However, when the public failed to respond to the offer the original edition size of 300 was quickly dropped. The first print by Marsh (Union Square), was printed out to the planned 300, the second, by Orozco (Negroes), was lowered to 150, and all successive prints apparently to 50. All lithographs were printed by George Miller.

A scarce print. 

$900.00