AL CAPONE (1899–1947)

An original 1931 press photograph of Al Capone — a historical photographic document from a period when his name stood at the center of American press attention. In the artist-designed presentation, the photograph is accompanied by Capone’s quotation: “I’ll give three dozen of my thugs for one man who can solve problems by talking.” Together, the portrait and quotation create a compelling image of one of the most recognizable figures in twentieth-century American history.

The year 1931 marked a decisive turning point in Al Capone’s life. That year he was convicted of federal income tax evasion, effectively bringing his dominance in Chicago to an end. Capone remains an enduring symbol of the Prohibition era, organized crime of the 1920s and 1930s, and the American gangster archetype shaped by contemporary newspapers and later absorbed into global popular culture.

The reverse of the original photographic print is of particular documentary significance. It retains the 1931 dating, editorial and agency markings associated with International News Photos / International News Service, Chicago, period notations and the handwritten identification “CAPONE, AL.” These surviving traces of editorial use form part of the history of the print itself and reinforce its character as an authentic press artifact of its period. The photograph is presented in an artist-designed presentation combining the historical image, archival attributes and quotation into a coherent composition.

The collectible significance of the object rests above all on the original 1931 photograph itself — not a modern reproduction, but a period press print retaining archival evidence on its reverse. Its dating, editorial provenance and direct association with the image of Al Capone make it a tangible document of American history from the first half of the twentieth century.