Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Ross, J. Kavin, American
Date
1921
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 3 7/16 × 5 7/16 in. (8.7 × 13.8 cm)
Caption
On May 31 and June 1, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, mobs of white residents brutally attacked the African American community of Greenwood, colloquially known as "Black Wall Street," in the deadliest racial massacre in U.S. history. This unidentified individual was just one of the many victims. The Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Statistics recorded the official death toll as 36, but it is now believed it may have been as high as 300 dead with many more missing and wounded.
Photo postcards of the Tulsa Race Massacre were widely distributed following the massacre in 1921. Like postcards depicting lynchings, these souvenir cards were powerful declarations of white racial power and control. Decades later, the cards served as evidence for community members working to recover the forgotten history of the riot and secure justice for its victims and their descendants.
Description
A sepia-toned photographic postcard depicting the body of an unidentified victim of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The close up image shows the charred remains of a person lying on the ground amid debris. Across the bottom of the image, written into the negative and appearing as white text is [CHARED NEGRO / KILLED IN TULSA RIOT 6-1-1921]. The verso is marked [POST CARD] at the top with spaces for [CORRESPONDENCE] and [ADDRESS] and an AZO stamp box in the top right corner.
Place depicted
Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Media Arts-Photography
Type
gelatin silver prints
photographic postcards
Topic
Communities
Photography
Race relations
Race riots
Tulsa Race Massacre
U.S. History, 1919-1933
Violence
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.175.7
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd58d868f54-7b6a-4e9f-926a-4df1b60301af

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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