Borowitz Crime Ephemera: Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, Photographs, 1932

Finding Aid

Historical Note

On March 1, 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., the 20-month-old son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was kidnapped from his nursery, leading to one of the most publicized crime cases of the 20th century. Throughout the next several months, the curiosity of the public, as well as the media, was heightened in relation to the kidnapping, and the case was often the subject of newspaper headlines, articles, and essays from around the country.

Scope and Content

This collection largely contains captioned press and evidential photographs from Acme Newspictures, Inc. The photographs, taken amidst the kidnapping, search, and discovery of the body of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., range in date from March 1932 to June 1932. In addition to the photographs, there are eleven typed transcriptions of the ransom notes, and a poster that was distributed by police showing the handwriting on the ransom notes. This poster is seen in several press photographs and newspaper clippings in a separate Lindbergh kidnapping collection housed in Special Collections and Archives. No provenance information is available for this collection.

Kent State University does not own copyright to the photographs in this collection. Permission must be obtained from copyright holder(s) for duplication.

Box 1

1. Betty Gow, Lindbergh nurse, with Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., [no date]
2. Anne Morrow Lindbergh holding Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., [no date]
3. Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. with mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, March 2, 1932
4. Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., March 2, 1932
5. Lindbergh family estate, March 2, 1932
6. Ladder used in Lindbergh kidnapping, [no date]
7. Lieutenant Edward Leedon, prosecutor Erwin Marshall, assistant prosecutor Leo Rogers, March 2, 1932
8. Photograph of postcard mailed to Charles A. Lindbergh, March 2, 1932
9. Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., March 3, 1932
10. New Jersey governor A. Harry Moore at scene of kidnapping, March 3, 1932
11. William Diehl, whose farm adjoined Lindbergh estate, March 3, 1932
12. John J. Toohey, Secretary to the governor of New Jersey, March 3, 1932
13. Ollie Whately, Lindbergh butler, March 3, 1932
14. Curious onlookers gathering near Lindbergh home, March 3, 1932
15. Aerial view of area surrounding Lindbergh estate, March 3, 1932
16. Aerial view of Lindbergh estate, [no date]
17. Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., March 4, 1932
18. Crowd in front of Gebhart Hotel, Hopewell, New Jersey, March 4, 1932
19. Telegram sent by Opha Jackson to New Jersey governor A. Harry Moore, March 4, 1932
20. Patsy Olando farm; he was questioned by police, March 4, 1932
21. Pat Roche, John A. Swanson, pilot Nick Laurenzo, called to apprehend kidnappers, March 4, 1932
22. Telegram to President Herber Hoover from New Jersey governor A. Harry Moore, March 4, 1932
23. Telegram sent to police heads and mayors of large eastern cities from New Jersey governor, March 4, 1932
24. Police searching abandoned house near Hopewell, New Jersey, [no date]
25. Mechanics and plane at Newark airport, March 5, 1932
26. Crowd gathering in Trenton, New Jersey, as officials meet in Lindbergh case, March 5, 1932
27. Crowds gathered outside Hunterdon County Courthouse, March 5, 1932
28. Tourists preparing for flight over Lindbergh home, March 5, 1932
29. Irving Bitz, aid in Lindbergh case, March 5, 1932
30. Heimo Hattu, former roommate of Henry Johnson, who was arrested in Lindbergh case, March 5, 1932
31. New York police commissioner Edward P. Mulroney, governor A. Harry Moore, mayor Frank Hague, March 5, 1932
32. William Campbell, questioned in Lindbergh kidnapping, March 5, 1932
33. Officials in Lindbergh investigation, March 5, 1932
34. Authorities searching for Lindbergh baby, March 5, 1932
35. Edith Winter and Muriel Fress, conferred with Lindberghs about information in case, March 6, 1932
36. Children at St. Michael's Orphanage praying for return of Lindbergh baby, March 6, 1932
37. Telephone lines near Lindbergh home inspected after snow storm, March 7, 1932
38. State trooper on guard at Lindbergh home, March 7, 1932
39. Sightseers attempting to get near Lindbergh home, [no date]
40. Reporters watching Lindbergh home from trees, March 8, 1932
41. Reporters and photographers camped near Lindbergh estate, March 8, 1932
42. Asa Dalgren, Lindbergh family neighbor, March 8, 1932
43. Henry Johnson, friend of Lindbergh nurse Betty Gow, March 8, 1932
44. E.W. Copner, Hopewell mailman posing with letters about Lindbergh case, March 8, 1932
45. Crowd gathered around poster distributed to cities asking for information in the Lindbergh case, [see Oversize items in separate Borowitz Lindbergh Kidnapping Collection to view one of these posters], March 13, 1932
46. Henry Johnson, friend of Lindbergh nurse Betty Gow, March 13, 1932
47. Sebastian Lupica, witness to car with ladder on day of kidnapping, March 18, 1932
48. Detective examining stolen cars found near Lindbergh estate, March 21, 1932
49. Letter written by Charles and Anne Lindbergh expressing desire to meet with kidnappers, [no date]
50. Rev. Harold Dobson Peacock, one of the five intermediaries in Lindbergh kidnapping case, March 25, 1932
51. John Hughes Curtis, one of the five intermediaries in Lindbergh kidnapping case, March 25, 1932
52. Rev. Harold Dobson Peacock, March 30, 1932
53. John Hughes Curtis, April 1, 1932
54. Yacht crew established to meet with kidnappers, April 3, 1932
55. John F. Condon, aka "Jafsie," one of the five intermediaries in Lindbergh kidnapping case, April 10, 1932
56. Grand jury in Lindbergh kidnapping case, April 12, 1932
57. Police chief William Mercer and troops searching vacant home, April 13, 1932
58. Elizabeth Faubian, rumored to have made flight to Lindbergh home, April 22, 1932
59. Suspects arrested in Lindbergh case, April 23, 1932
60. Crib from where Lindbergh baby was abducted, May 12, 1932
61. Orville Wilson, man with William Allen, who found Lindbergh baby's body, May 12, 1932
62. Crowds forming near area where Lindbergh baby found, May 12, 1932
63. Location where Lindbergh baby's body found, May 12, 1932
64. Body of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. at location where found, May 12, 1932
65. Body of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. at morgue, May 12, 1932
66. Lindbergh car at morgue, May 13, 1932
67. Aerial view showing proximity of Lindbergh home to site where body was found, May 13, 1932
68. Location where body found, May 13, 1932
69. Crowds gathering where body found, May 15, 1932
70. Officials connected with the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder investigation, May 16, 1932
71. Photograph of signed statement made by John Hughes Curtis, May 17, 1932
72. Colonel H. Norman Schwartkopf of the New Jersey police, May 17, 1932
73. Poster showing handwriting from ransom notes, May 21, 1932
74. Photograph of poster showing handwriting from ransom notes, May 23, 1932
75. Location of kidnapping note, [no date]
76. Morris Rosner, contact during ransom deals, May 24, 1932
77. Officials studying evidence in Lindbergh case, May 25, 1932
78. "Jafsie," one of the five intermediaries in Lindbergh kidnapping case, June 1, 1932
79. "Jafsie," June 9, 1932
80. Map and outline on plan of action made by "Jafsie," [no date]
81. Scene of meeting between "Jafsie" and kidnappers, [no date]
82. Reporters and men involved in attempt to contact kidnappers, [no date]
83. Harry Fleisher, suspect in Lindbergh kidnapping, June 10, 1932
84. Ernest Joseph Brinkert, suspect in Lindbergh kidnapping, June 11, 1932
85. Violet Sharpe, Lindbergh maid, June 11, 1932
86. Court room scenes, June 27, 1932
87. Jury for John Hughes Curtis obstruction of justice trial, June 28, 1932
88. Betty Gow and Ollie Whately, Lindbergh nurse and butler, June 28, 1932
89. Charles Lindbergh at Hunterdon County courthouse, June 29, 1932
90. NBC News broadcasters, [no date]
91. Police working on kidnapping case, [no date]
92. Theresa Dersi, claimed she witnessed three men in car before kidnapping took place, [no date]
93. Unidentified photograph, [no date]
94. Charles A. Lindbergh portrait print, [no date]
95. Artist's rendering of Hauptmann entering execution chamber, [no date]
96. Typed transcriptions of ransom notes, [no dates]
97. The Lindbergh Kidnapping/Murder Scrapbook, A Preservation Project, November 11, 1990. [Organized and written by Samuel Groves Elias, this student project outlines the contents of this collection as well as indicates techniques for the preservation of these photographs and items].