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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Morton, Jack (fl. 1908) [Color reproduction of a photograph depicting the lynching of four African Americans]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06265 Author/Creator: Morton, Jack (fl. 1908) Place Written: Nashville, Tennessee Type: Postcard Date: 1908 Pagination: 1 postcard ; 9 x 14.1 cm. Order a Copy

Beside the photo on the front of the postcard, printed text indicates that the lynching took place at Russellville, Kentucky, and the photograph was taken 1 August 1908. Depicts several lynching victims hung on a cedar tree. Caption states that "[t]his is a multiple cedar tree and these four make a total of nine men lynched on this tree, some were white men." Photograph includes two witnesses watching the lynching. A warning sign hangs from the neck of one lynched man. On verso, printed text indicates placement of address and stamp. Copyrighted by Morton, a salesman in Nashville, Tennessee.

"TAKEN FROM DEATH," LYNCHING AT RUSSELLVILLE,
LOGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY, JULY 31. 1908.

HANGED ON THE OLD PROCTOR LYNCHING TREE. THIS IS A MULTIPLE CEDAR TREE AND THESE FOUR MAKE A TOTAL OF NINE MEN LYNCHED ON THIS TREE, SOME WERE WHITE MEN. THIS TREE IS AN OLD LAND MARK AND WAS AN OLD CEDAR TREE, EVEN IN THE YOUNGEST DAYS OF THE OLDEST SETTLERS.
RUSSELLVILLE IS ONE OF THE PIONEER TOWNS OF KENTUCKY AND WAS SETTLED IN A CANE BRAKE. THIS IS THE EXACT PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN AT DAWN AUG. 1, 08.

COPYRIGHT 1908, BY JACK MORTON, SALESMAN, STAHLMAN BUILDING,
NASHVILLE, TENN. U.S.A

Morton, Jack, fl. 1908

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