Auction & Negro Sales: F. Geutebruck Slave Market

Haunting photograph of a slave auction house operated by F. Geutebruck, with the chilling sign "AUCTION & NEGRO SALES" prominently displayed above the storefront. This historic image captures the physical infrastructure of the domestic slave trade, showing the actual building where human beings were bought and sold like merchandise. The weathered storefront with its broken windows and deteriorating facade serves as a stark reminder of slavery's commercial nature—enslaved people were auctioned in the same spaces where furniture, livestock, and goods were sold. An African American man sits on the steps, a powerful and somber presence at the site of such horror. These auction houses were common in Southern cities and towns, serving as the marketplaces where families were torn apart and lives were destroyed. A chilling piece of architectural and photographic evidence of America's original sin, essential for historical education, available in three sizes with your choice of black or silver aluminum frame.