Detroit Race Riots of 1943-HELP!

[RedHotRidinHood]

I need some help here, and some advice.

Here's a little background: I went to an estate sale yesterday down the street from my house. The daughter of the woman who had passed away is running the sale, and we got to talking, and now, as of today, I will be selling a whole bunch of stuff on eBay for her soon. ( This is what I do for a living.) Not only were her parents in VAUDEVILLE in the 20s and possibly the teens, but her father was a reporter for the Detroit Free Press ( I think it was that paper) for about 20 years. Apparently, on or about June 20th or 21st, 1943, her father and a staff photographer friend of his went down to where the rioting was happening and took candid pictures. Well, the daughter still has the ORIGINAL black and white 8x10s that they took that day, there are 20 or so of them, and she wants to make sure they fall into the right hands. I plan to sell them for her, but I have to say-they are graphic and very disturbing. Bloody and a very scary look at what it might have meant to be black in Detroit in 1943. We sat there and looked at them and I cried-it hurt me so much to think that people could be like this. She has had them her whole life and it still made her cry. It was a weird moment, but we are determined to find the right buyer for these. I have to look into any limitations I might have as to what I can show in the eBay listing, but I think that is where they are going to end up. I was kind of hoping someone might have some advice or ideas as to the right way to market them. I know how cold that sounds, but this is my business. I do, however, want them to be seen by the right people who will know how to best preserve them for history's sake.

Any input appreciated! Thanks!

 

[$ally]

If he took the photos on assignment, they may be considered the property of that newspaper. I wouldn't want this gal to get into trouble selling them. I'd suggest going straight to an appropriate historical society, and skipping e-bay on this one. This sort of thing needs to be made public.

 

[Fletch]

YES. Whatever you do, talk to a historical organization first. Newspapers are notorious for trashing their morgues.

Imagine if they demanded the pix back, only to destroy them.

 

[Naphtali]

Have negatives been retained? These would be 6x6 or 9x6 or some similar size rather than 35 mm roll or flats.

 

[RedHotRidinHood]

Nope, I just have about 20 or so B&W 8x10s. No stamps, no marks, nothing to show ownership by anyone. All I have is what the woman told me and what my research so far has shown. They make my eyes well up every time I look at them; especially one that shows a young black man, standing behind two white police officers, who are protecting him from a large mob of white people. The young man is the only one looking at the camera, and you can see that he's terrified. It's an amazing picture.

 

[Lady Day]

YES. Whatever you do, talk to a historical organization first.

Exactly. Id offer them to a historical civil rights orginization. If they cant pay, Id donate them. Documentation like that needs to be seen by as many as possible, not sit in someones private collection.


LD

 

[Feraud]

I agree with donating the photographs. There is other stuff to sell. These photographs are more important than going to the highest bidder, who may not be the "right buyer".

 

[RedHotRidinHood]

I agree with all of you-but I have to abide by what the owner wants to do. I am finding places like the Detroit Historical Society to email, and I'm trying to find some civil rights organizations there in the city that might be good places too. It depends on if they want the pictures. I would want some kind fo reassurance, also, that they would not just be stuck away in a file somewhere. They need to be seen.
Thank you very much to all of you for your input!

 

[Ben]

Museum or University

I agree with Sally -- skip E-Bay.

If you really want them to fall into the right hands start with the Henry Ford Museum:

http://www.thehenryford.org/

Then maybe the Detorit Historical Society:

http://www.detroithistorical.org/

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has the Civil Rights Memorial:

http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp

You might also want to look at the University of Michigan which has a number of libraries tha tmight want them:

http://www.umich.edu/libraries.php#libraries

Finally, even if the owner does want some kind of monetary consideration for them, depending on who she donates them two, there may be a significant tax benefit. So even though she would not get paid directly, she might still reap significant reward. You should broach that with her.

 

[eniksleestack]

You may also want to contact a local university. They usually have people who know how to preserve or handle special collections material like this and would be very interested in getting to a larger community -- so that people will remember, and possibly have the same experience and reaction you have had.

I'm a history professor and I would be very interested to see at least downscaled jpegs, even if they are graphic. There's very little of this out there (I know -- I've looked). Most of the event was played down or hushed up, especially because of the war-time censorship and patriotism. My worry is that if you give these back to the newspaper, they'll disappear again.

Thanks for sharing this story.

 

[TailendCharlie]

The Charles H, Wight Museum of African American History Detroit

Here is their link; http://www.maah-detroit.org

 

[RedHotRidinHood]

Man, you guys are just wonderful. THANK YOU so much for all of the ideas and links! I am going to start sending out a few emails tomorrow, and will be talking to the owner on Friday to see what we can do. I am going to try and talk her out of eBay, most definitely. I don't think it will be that hard, really-she is pretty hip to the importance of what the pictures show.
I'll keep you all posted, and let you know what happens.

If you want, I can post them here for you all to see. But, I warn you, they are very disturbing. I don't want to get in trouble and get kicked off the FL. Let me know, ok?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Count me as one one who would like to see, thanks.

 

[Ben]

I'd like to see them as well. But if there are any concerns about what they show and your good standing on the lounge, perhaps you could create a flickr account or something like that and just give us all the link.

 

[eniksleestack]

Yes, perhaps a link to a flickr account with a warning for those who might be sensitive would be the best. I think flickr is pretty "anything goes" on images.

Thanks again for putting historical preservation before commerce. Good luck with this!

 

[Story]

I am going to try and talk her out of eBay, most definitely. I don't think it will be that hard, really-she is pretty hip to the importance of what the pictures show.
I'll keep you all posted, and let you know what happens.

If you want, I can post them here for you all to see. But, I warn you, they are very disturbing. I don't want to get in trouble and get kicked off the FL. Let me know, ok?

Good - these need to be published, as an article somewhere.

If you're going to put them online, add an electronic watermark to each print. Someone around here can probably help you with that.

 

[Lady Day]

Yes, perhaps a link to a flickr account with a warning for those who might be sensitive would be the best. I think flickr is pretty "anything goes" on images.

Yeah, also start a new thread with a warning in the title. That should be good enough. I would LOVE to see these images.

Thanks!

LD

 

[Ben]

Any more news on what happened with these pictures?