Public Punishment: Delaware Courthouse Scene, c. 1900

This historical photograph depicts a stark scene at the New Castle County Courthouse in Delaware around the year 1900. In it, two prisoners are confined in a pillory, a device designed to publicly shame and punish wrongdoers, while another individual is tied to a whipping post, held in place for corporal punishment. The presence of a man wielding a whip underscores the severity of the penal practices of the time. Such methods reflect the attitudes towards crime and punishment leading into the 20th century, illustrating how justice was administered in public spaces.

During this era, Delaware, like many states, employed physical punishment as a means of deterrence and discipline. The pillory was often used not just for punishment, but as a spectacle for the public, bringing communities together to witness justice in action. This photograph serves to remind us of a time when judicial proceedings were closely tied to physical punishment in a very visible way, presenting a clear view into the past practices that we now consider outdated and inhumane. It’s a powerful record of Delawares legal history and societal attitudes toward crime at the dawn of the modern age.