Today we’re going to wander on back to the summer of 1770, and visit an era with a decidedly different system of justice.    Our story begins with two criminals, one convicted of burglary and another of counterfeiting.   Both could have resulted in a death sentence, but in many instances burglars had a “B” branded on their foreheads and thieves had a “T” branded on their hands.

After a little debate, we decided to loosely re-create the death sentence of a woman convicted in England for poisoning her husband.    The gallows, throughout history, have taken different forms, but our art direction today will be based on this account, published in the New Hampshire Gazette in December of 1768.

We’re going to have a little help today from the people who helped create the gorgeous matte artistry of HBO’s “John Adams.”  Stay tuned for pictorial updates!