FBI Wanted poster for Angela Davis: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) wanted poster for Angela Yvonne Davis, dated August 1970. The poster features two pictures of Davis as well as descriptive information about her physical features. The poster also details information about why she is wanted by the FBI. The back of the poster has a list of addresses and telephone numbers of the FBI special agents who should be contacted with any information.

On recto, headlined on a wide black background at the top in, the poster reads: [WANTED / BY THE / FBI / INTERSTATE FLIGHT – MURDER, KIDNAPING / ANGELA DAVIS YVONNE DAVIS / FBI No. 867,615 G]. Pictured below is professor and political activist Angela Davis, in two black-and-white photographs. In the left photo she wears a dark v-neck blouse. In the right photo she wears tinted eyeglasses and a patterned sweater. Between both photographs is typed: [Alias: “Tamu”]. The poster includes a physical description and fingerprint classification of Davis. Below that is written a justification for her arrest: [ANGELA DAVIS IS WANTED ON KIDNAPING AND MURDER CHARGES GROWING OUT OF AN ABDUCTION AND SHOOTING IN MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, ON AUGUST 7, 1970, SHE ALLEGEDLY HAS PURCHASED SEVERAL GUNS IN THE PAST, CONSIDER POSSIBLE ARMED AND DANGEROUS. / A Federal warrant was issued on August 15. 1970, at San Francisco, California, charging Davis with unlawful interstate flight to avoid prosecution for murder and kidnaping (Title 18, U. S. Code, Section 1073). / IF YOU HAVE AN INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE NOTIFY ME OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE. TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES OF ALL FBI OFFICES LISTED ON BACK.].

The poster is signed by J. Edgar Hoover: [DIRECTOR / FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVSTIGATION / UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE / WASHINGTON, D. C. 20535 / TELEPHONE, NATIONAL 8-7117]. In the lower left corner is typed: [Entered NCIC / Wanted Flyer 457 / August 18. 1970]. On verso, leftmost, are listed every city, building address, and telephone number of the U.S. based FBI locations.

On verso, rightmost is typed a notice of official business and penalty for private use; indication of FBI paid postage, and an addressee: [Superintendent – U.S.P.S. / Vanowen Station / Van Nuys, Calif. 91407].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: August 18, 1970
• Created by: Federal Bureau of Investigation, American, founded 1908
• Subject of: Angela Y. Davis, American, born 1944
• Signed by: J. Edgar Hoover, American, 1935 - 1972
• Type: posters
• Medium: lithographic ink on paper (fiber product)
• Dimensions: H x W: 16 x 10 7/16 in. (40.6 x 26.5 cm)
• Place made: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Law
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: U.S. History, 1969-2001
• Topic: Women
• Object number: 2012.146
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Andrew Breitbart and Michael Silver
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.