Probably the earliest film in the archive concerning an act of terrorism, the footage from which this image is taken features just one of a series of bombings during 1919 carried out in many American cities by anarchists aiming to bring down the "tyrannical institutions" of the State.

It is not clear from British Pathe's records exactly what this image shows but it is possibly the ruined home of Judge Charles C. Nott Jr. on 151 East 66 Street which was a target of the terrorists. Although Nott was unhurt one night watchman who had seen a suspicious package left on Nott's doorstep and had gone over to investigate was killed when it went off in his hands.

As well as in New York bombs were detonated in seven other cities and thirty-six letter bombs were posted though many were intercepted before they could explode.