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Catalog Data

Created by:
Unidentified  Search this
Owned by:
J. Kavin Ross, American  Search this
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)
Type:
gelatin silver prints
photographic postcards
Place depicted:
Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1921
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 image shows the bloodied body lying on the ground amidst weeds and what appears to be a rail line. 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. There are no inscriptions, front or back.
Topic:
African American  Search this
Communities  Search this
Photography  Search this
Race relations  Search this
Race riots  Search this
Tulsa Race Massacre  Search this
U.S. History, 1919-1933  Search this
Violence  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number:
2011.175.9
Restrictions & Rights:
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification:
Media Arts-Photography
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5d79b0031-b3f5-448d-b58d-b7f7235ec2a7
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2011.175.9