200+ BANNED RARE Photos of OLD WEST That Were DISCOVERED!

Описание: Old west photos were restricted for decades—because they show what “frontier justice” really
looked like.
Fred W. Loring photographed Apache territory in 1871; two days later he was killed, and his

camera outlived him. Similar old west photos from 1865–1890—some now in the National

Archives—were boxed up, traded quietly, or sealed in courthouse basements.

From Fort Smith’s executions under Judge Isaac Parker and hangman George Maledon, to

California’s daylight lynchings later documented by Ken Gonzales-Day, the photos reveal

communities, officials, and crowds—not just outlaws. Even famous faces like Billy the Kid and

Geronimo look different when you follow the plates, not the legend.

What you’ll discover:

Fred Loring’s last plate (1871) and 83-year lockup.

Fort Smith gallows photos tied to Parker and Maledon.

California lynching postcards sold for five cents.

Ken Gonzales-Day’s erasures—and the crowd left behind.

Geronimo portraits and brothel ledgers that break the myth.

#oldwestphotos #historicalphotography #frontierhistory #hiddenhistory #americanwest

#photoevidence

SOURCES: U.S. National Archives, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Smith

National Historic Site.

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: Educational history; includes discussion of violence in archival photos. Fair

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