Lynching in the United States
In the late-1800s to early-1900s South, photographs were taken at lynchings. These were used in postcards and newspapers. These images usually showed an African-American lynching victim and all or part of the crowd that attended. Women and children often watched lynchings. The people who killed the victim were not identified. At one lynching, nearly 15,000 people were in the crowd. Often lynchings were advertised in newspapers before the event so photographers could be there. After the lynching, photographers would sell their pictures as-is or as postcards. They could cost as much as fifty cents each, or $9, as of 2016.