Prison ring

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A prison ring is a type of plastic jewelry fashioned by hand in prisons, by working scrap plastic material, commonly celluloid items such as a toothbrush or a pen. [1] [2] Celluloid was historically a popular material since it could be heat bonded and glues were often less available. [3] A common feature of prison rings were small photos mounted on the bezel. [3]

The rings were produced as early as the 1920s. Rainey Bethea, the last person to be publicly executed in the United States, was caught after a 1936 rape and murder because he left a distinctive prison ring at the murder scene. [4] [5]

References

  1. "More Celluloid Jewelry - Laminated Bob Dodd Rings". December 7, 2012.
  2. Leigh Leshner (28 February 2011). Collecting Art Plastic Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide. Krause Publications. pp. 9–. ISBN   978-1-4402-2751-6 . Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  3. 1 2 Grasso, Tony (1996). Bakelite Jewellery A Collector's guide. The Apple Press. pp. 94–98. ISBN   1850766134.
  4. "August 14: On This Day in History … briefly". 14 August 2018.
  5. Craughwell, Thomas J. (December 12, 2011). Busted: Mugshots and Arrest Records of the Famous and Infamous. Running Press. ISBN   9781603762694 via Google Books.