the guillotine

Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French physician, recommended its use for executions in 1789. The guillotine above is on display at the Hoa Lo Prison, more popularly known as the "Hanoi Hilton". But the sign at the gate says "Maison Centrale".
The board below the hole where the neck is placed still has stains. This was used during the French occupation. The photos behind show the heads of the Vietnamese cut off by this contraption.
The museum shows that the Americans did not receive the kind of treatment the Vietnamese got from the French. The Vietnamese treated the Americans more humanely, so the museum appears to convey.