Created by
Unidentified
Subject of
Unidentified Man or Men
Date
1908
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on printing-out paper mounted on card stock
Dimensions
H x W: 3 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. (8.6 x 13.7 cm)
Description
A black-and-white photographic postcard of an elderly man gathering possessions after the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois. The man is depicted in the center of the image, outside of what appears to be a residential structure, amid a scattering of furniture, clothing, and other domestic objects. The man holds a small drawer of possessions in his proper left hand, against his proper left hip. In front of him is what appears to be dresser drawers stacked in the grass and full of tangled pieces of clothing and an upturned chair. Behind him, a small table piled with more random belongings and a chair sit in front of a tree. To the right side of the image, closer to the street, is a larger table with cookware and other items on it. In front of the table, standing in the street, are two white men, both looking towards the camera. The men are dressed in dark pants, jackets, and hats. The scene is in front of a single story dwelling with wooden siding, an open doorway, and two shutter-less windows. Written in white at the bottom of the image is [Old negro saving few articles after mob violence, many were destitute and homeless]. There is a small, round loss in the left side of the photograph, top center.
The postcard is unused and has a divided back with a space marked as [CORRESPONDENCE HERE] and a space marked as [NAME AND ADDRESS HERE]. The postcard is printed on AZO paper, with an AZO stamp mark in the upper right corner of the back. A handwritten inscription in graphite along the top of the back reads [Old Negro saving few articles after mob violence most went destitute and homeless. (SPRINGFIELD RACE RIOT ILL.)].
Place depicted
Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Media Arts-Photography
Type
photographic postcards
Topic
Communities
Domestic life
Housing
Photography
Poverty
Race relations
Race riots
U.S. History, 1865-1921
Violence
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2010.36.9.1
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5579eb8d9-a50b-4664-9e30-934b54db430a

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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