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Iconic original vintage semi-glossy 4.75 x 3 'mugshot' or booking photograph of Malcolm Little from November 29, 1944, showing the 19-year-old wearing a hat and in a profile pose. The placard in front of him reads: "Boston Police, 65213, 11 29 44." In fine condition. Consignor notes that this original mug shot originates from the collection of a retired Boston police detective.
Malcolm Little was arrested in Boston in 1944 for larceny—part of a series of petty crimes he committed as a young man—which resulted in a sentence of four months in jail and one year of probation. At the time, he was known by the nickname 'Detroit Red' and was involved with a small group that targeted wealthy homes. His 1944 arrest was an early encounter with the justice system, foreshadowing the more serious charges that would lead to his imprisonment in 1946. This period marked a turning point, as his eventual incarceration became the catalyst for his intellectual and spiritual transformation.
In 1946, he was again picked up for larceny and breaking and entering, and, found guilty, began serving his eight-to-ten year sentence at Charlestown State Prison in February. He made efforts to reform and educate himself while there, and with his sister Ella began a letter-writing campaign in hopes of getting transferred to the Norfolk Prison Colony (today known as MCI-Norfolk)—it offered broader educational opportunities that did not exist in Charlestown. He ultimately found success, and was transferred to Norfolk on March 31, 1948.
In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, he described the colony as 'comparatively, a heaven, in many respects,' observing: 'Norfolk Prison Colony represented the most enlightened form of prison that I have ever heard of. In place of the atmosphere of malicious gossip, perversion, grafting, hateful guards, there was more relative ‘culture,’ as ‘culture’ is interpreted in prisons. A high percentage of the Norfolk Prison Colony inmates went in for ‘intellectual’ things, group discussions, debates, and such.' He joined the weekly debate team, where he honed his oratorical skill, and devoted much of his time to studying in the prison library. Most importantly, it was during this time that Malcolm discovered the Nation of Islam. It seems that he began to question authority after becoming involved with the Nation of Islam, and was shipped back to Charlestown State Prison for being 'undesirable.'
Paroled on August 7, 1952, after seven years served, Malcolm Little left prison as Malcolm X, a devout member of the Nation of Islam and a committed disciple and pupil of Elijah Muhammad. He soon moved to Detroit and began an intensive recruiting campaign for the Nation of Islam. Relying on the rhetorical skill honed during his time in prison, Malcolm X attracted new members wherever he spoke. Within a year, he would triple the membership of Detroit's Temple No. 1. Increasingly recognized as the public face of the Nation of Islam, he returned to the east coast in late 1953 and continued to grow the organization.
