It’s been a long time since I first learned of this exhibit and wanted to share it with people. Now I can.
It’s called Without Sanctuary, and it’s an exhibit of souvenir photographs and postcards from lynchings in the US. Some of the powerful images can be viewed as a short flash movie at the site. You can also look through the 81 photos individually; clicking on “more on this photo” provides important information about the specific cases and the practice of lynching in general. They are sickening.
Sociologist of law David Garland has written about the sociopolitical history of lynchings and their importance in the development of capital punishment in the country. This is an interesting talk on the subject given by Garland at Eastern Kentucky University.
Thank you for this, SC. I wrote my own blog entry on this as a result of looking at the "Without Sanctuary" site. I have a particular interest in lynching because of my own Italian heritage, and my discovery some years ago of how many times Italians were victims.
ReplyDeleteWe have not, as a people, confronted our terroristic past. Unless we are honest with ourrselves, we cannot hope to overcome our fears and deal fairly with those who have been victimized.
~ Bobber
Hey Bobber,
ReplyDeleteYour post about this tied several things together for me - I really liked it! It also reminded me how neglected has been the history of the anarchist movement in places like Florida, Cuba, and Puerto Rico during that era. It's been studied, but not nearly enough.
Thanks.