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The “Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America” exhibit is presented by the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and uncovers the story of American lynching between the 1880s and 1960s through the display of actual photographs, postcards, and artifacts from the period. The visit of the exhibit was a simple, yet powerfully moving experience. It was observed that the main room of the exhibit occupies a small corner room at the King visitor’s center. When one enters, the lyrics of “Strange Fruit” fill one’s ears. A map breaks down the sobering statistics of lynching activity in the South. There are photographs that line the walls, with short explanations next to them. The atmosphere that was observed was dark and slightly terrifying, with the walls painted black and the night sounds of chirping crickets piped in. There were eighty (80) images and artifacts depicting lynchings and the anti-lynching movement that were displayed in the cases or in frames of oak. James Allen, an Atlanta-area collector of civil rights memorabilia, is the co-owner and contributor of the collection, along with his partner, John Littlefield. They began amassing the various photographs, news articles and postcards in 1982.
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