Iconic Comedian Lenny Bruce Booked in 1963 on Heroin Charges Original Press Photo

Lenny Bruce (D. 1966) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-style and critical form of comedy which integrated satire, politics, religion, sex, and vulgarity. His 1964 conviction in anobscenitytrial was followed by aposthumouspardon, the first in the history of New York state, by then-GovernorGeorge Patakiin 2003. Bruce is renowned for paving the way for future outspokencounterculture-eracomedians, and his trial for obscenity is seen as a landmark forfreedom of speech in the United States. In 2017,Rolling Stonemagazine ranked him third (behind disciplesRichard PryorandGeorge Carlin) on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.Gorgeous 1963 photograph of comedian Lenny Bruce leaving a court room after being ordered to undergo a psychological examination after a heroin conviction. Issued a few years later and then file stamped from 1971, this is a high grade 10" x 8" (in size) example