Photographic postcard of militia encampents in Springfield, Illinois

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A black-and-white photographic of militiamen in Springfield, Illinois, following the race riot. Captured from a diagonal distance away from the city’s large square of buildings, numerous militiamen encamp and convene throughout a large, grassy clearing. Many stand and sit beneath the shade of trees, and others are seen working closer to the buildings visible on the left and right of the image. On the right is some signage from the local businesses, to include a large awning with the word “MUSIC” painted or printed across the top. A horse and carriage are parked in front of the awning. On the left of the print is a wide band of margin and the black end of the original imprint. The postcard is unused and, on the reverse, has a divided back with respectively marked spaces, [CORRESPONDENCE HERE] and [NAME AND ADDRESS HERE], for inscriptions.

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