In April of 1863, the Baton-Rouge-based photographers McPherson and Oliver produced a series of images of a formerly enslaved man known as Peter and Gordon in which the subject bore his scarred back to the camera, testimony to the violence of his enslaved past.  One version in particular came to be known as the “Scourged Back.”  The display of this image has been the subject of much debate in recent years.  Scholars, curators, and critics have raised ethical questions about looking at and circulating Peter/Gordon’s scarred body.  More recently, efforts have been made to censor the photograph from public spaces.  This talk reflects on the history of Peter/Gordon's image and its afterlives, considering when and how it is appropriate to show and withhold from public viewing.