"Pretty Girl Raped"

"Pretty Girl Raped" - a collage by Alyssa Fuentes

The idea for this collage came from looking through old articles about sexual assault cases and noticing vernacular that stood out from both journalistic writing about trials and also the defense arguments used in trials. Women were described as "pretty" and "buxom" in articles about their rape accusations, and their reputations and sex lives were cited in the defense arguments of those they accused. Ranging from 1906 to 1959, and taken from 5 articles on Chronicling America, these clippings feature arguments and descriptions which showcase a culture of condescension and bias against women in sexual assault cases, regardless of the legal outcomes.

Articles Featured:

"Pretty Girl Raped at Point of Pistol." The Daily Record. [Dunn, N.C.], 29 June 1953. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88063132/1953-06-29/ed-1/seq-8/>

"Dr. Hanslee E. Tann Found Guilty By Jury." The Detroit tribune. [Detroit, Mich.], 30 Sept. 1950. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92063852/1950-09-30/ed-1/seq-3/>

"Rape Victim Admits She Promised." The Mississippi enterprise. [Jackson, Miss.], 04 July 1959. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87065258/1959-07-04/ed-1/seq-6/>

The Ward County independent. [Minot, Ward County, N.D.], 15 Nov. 1906. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88076421/1906-11-15/ed-1/seq-6/>

"Two Charges Against Man by Girl Cousin." The day book. [Chicago, Ill.], 27 May 1915. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1915-05-27/ed-1/seq-23/>