<I>In the Wake of the Mob: An Illustrated Story of Riot, Ruin and Rage</I>
date: label: Date
content: August 14-16, 1908; compiled 1909
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Manufactured by
content: The Housh Company, American
notes: label: Caption
content: The Springfield Race Riot took place August 14-16, 1908 when a mob of thousands of white Americans and European immigrants who, incensed over two reported assaults on white women by black men, carried out a series of violent attacks against the African American community in Springfield, Illinois. The mob destroyed homes, black-owned businesses, and the businesses of whites who appeared too sympathetic to African Americans. The state militia was called in an attempt to maintain order, and at least nine black residents died. The victims included Scott Burton, an African American barber who attempted to defend his home, and William Donnegan, an 84-year-old cobbler who was married to a white woman. Both men were lynched. The violent race riot in a Northern city was a catalyst for the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in early 1909.
label: Description
content: This black, rectangular photograph album contains sepia-toned black and white photographs depicting the aftermath of the Springfield Illinois race riot, with hand-drawn illustrations and captions.
label: Description
content: Gilt lettering on the front of the album reads [Photographs]. The album consists of 30 black paper leaves; the first two leaves consist of the illustrated title and dedication pages. The title page reads [IN THE WAKE / OF THE MOB / An Illustrated / Story of / Riot Ruin / and Rage] in decorative, hand-lettering set in ornate decorative detailing, all in white album ink. The white ink of the title page has partially transferred to the inside cover opposite. The dedication page reads [Fondly / dedicated / To / Madolin / 1909] in decorative hand-lettering. The remaining twenty-eight black leaves each have one or two photographs mounted on the front, surrounded by ornate hand drawn illustrations and hand-lettered manuscript captions in white album pen. Some of these illustrations are geometric designs, others are floral and vegetative. Most of the photo images are also captioned in the negative in white text.
label: Description
content: The scenes depicted in the photographs include damages caused to neighborhoods, homes, and businesses during the riot, including barber shops, saloons, Fishman's pawnshop, and the Star Theatre. The photograph depicting the damaged interior of a shop has a caption reading [Interior Fishman's Pawn Shop. Wrecked by Mob for alleged sympathy with Negros.].There are also scenes of people dealing with the aftermath, including a man salvaging belongings outside his burnt home and another of several individuals outside of damaged homes with a caption reading [Negro Man and Woman eating dry bread for breakfast!]. Several photographs depict the sites of lynchings. One photograph of the exterior of a damaged, two story building with the remains of a burned tree in front has a caption that reads, [Saloon Wrecked and Partly Burned / Tree on which Negro was hanged].
label: Description
content: On the back cover of the album is a small rectangular label reading [HOUSH ALBUM / MORG 710 1/230 / BLACK LEAVES / The House Co., Makers Boston].
place: label: Place depicted
content: Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
title: label: Title
content: Illustrated photograph album of the Springfield, Illinois race riot
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Barbershops
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Communities
label: Topic
content: Hate crimes
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Race riots
label: Topic
content: Violence
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.139
objectType: label: Type
content: gelatin silver prints
label: Type
content: photograph albums
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cloth over cardboard, ink on paper, and silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (closed): 7 1/4 × 10 3/16 × 1 5/8 in. (18.4 × 25.9 × 4.1 cm)