Original Artwork: Hartlepool – Caroline Heinecke

Photography
Fine Art Print

In 1815, in Hartlepool, Northeast England, a monkey dressed in a military uniform was hanged after locals accused it of being a spy.

According to local folklore, a monkey was hanged in Hartlepool, England. During the Napoleonic Wars, a French ship was destroyed in a storm off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor of the ship was allegedly a monkey, purportedly dressed in a French army uniform to amuse the crew. When some locals found the monkey on the beach, they decided to hold an impromptu trial. Since the monkey was unable to answer their questions and they had never seen either a monkey or a Frenchman before, they concluded that the monkey must be a French spy. Found guilty, the animal was sentenced to death and hanged on the beach. The colloquial term for the residents of Hartlepool became "Monkey Hanger."

Edition of 10

The print is delivered unframed.