Description: Ku Klux Klan members pose lining both sides of an unpaved road in Ohio. The picture is likely to have been take for the purpose of intimidation, recruitment or to attain more political power with state and local officials. After a period of decline during the Jim Crow years, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) emerged again during the 1910s. This reversal was partly due to the Great Migration, when hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved from the South to the North, seeking jobs in industrialized cities, including many in Ohio. In addition, many people in the United States became involved in reform movements during the first decades of the 20th century. Some of these movements supported middle-class, Protestant values and believed that non-whites and foreigners were a danger to these beliefs. Because of these fears and concerns, the Ku Klux Klan was able to find new supporters. The Ku Klux Klan was especially strong in Ohio during the 1910s and 1920s. In Summit County the Klan claimed to have fifty thousand members, making it the largest local chapter in the United States. Many of the county's officials were members, including the sheriff, the Akron mayor, several judges and county commissioners, and most members of Akron's school board. The Klan was also very popular in Licking County, where the group held its state konklave (convention) in 1923 and 1925. More than 70,000 people attended each event. By the mid 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan began to decline in popularity, but saw a revival once again during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The Ku Klux Klan continues to exist in the twenty-first century. It is, however, at present quite small in both numbers and influence. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC359_01
Subjects: Ku Klux Klan (1915- ); Racism--United States--History--20th century; Race relations; Discrimination;
Places: Ohio
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1939, this photograph shows a World War I monument, topped with a Doughboy soldier holding a rifle in his left hand and holding a grenade in his raised right hand, in the foreground and a Civil War monument in the background. The World War I monument is titled Spirit of the American Doughboy and is copyrighted by E.M. Visquesney, a sculptor from Spencer, Indiana. It was erected in 1929 by the American Legion and now stands in front of the Tuscarawas County Courthouse, with an inscription which reads "In memory of the men and women of Tuscarawas County who served their country in the World War." The Civil War monument was presented by Major Henry Kaldenbaugh who served in the 51st infantry division and left a bequest in his will for the construction of the monument to Union soldiers. The memorial is located on the corner of Broadway Street (Ohio Route 416) and High Avenue (Ohio Route 39) in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Its inscription reads "Erected to my brave and gallant comrades of Tuscarawas County who fell in defense of our glorious Union, by a member of the 51st Ohio Vols. 1861 - 1865. Erected May 19, 1887. Presented by Major Henry Kaldenbaugh." This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F10_039_1
Subjects: Memorials--Ohio; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Monuments; Sculpture; Winter; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: New Philadelphia (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph showing ranks of soldiers standing at attention was taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. A large water-tower is visible in the background. Like most of Ewing's work, the picture was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b03_f191
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History;
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: Five Klan members and two women pose for a picture in front of their vehicle, which has been decorated for a parade or rally. After a period of decline during the Jim Crow years, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) emerged again during the 1910s. This reversal was partly due to the Great Migration, when hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved from the South to the North, seeking jobs in industrialized cities, including many in Ohio. In addition, many people in the United States became involved in reform movements during the first decades of the 20th century. Some of these movements supported middle-class, Protestant values and believed that non-whites and foreigners were a danger to these beliefs. Because of these fears and concerns, the Ku Klux Klan was able to find new supporters. The Ku Klux Klan was especially strong in Ohio during the 1910s and 1920s. In Summit County the Klan claimed to have fifty thousand members, making it the largest local chapter in the United States. Many of the county's officials were members, including the sheriff, the Akron mayor, several judges and county commissioners, and most members of Akron's school board. The Klan was also very popular in Licking County, where the group held its state konklave (convention) in 1923 and 1925. More than 70,000 people attended each event. By the mid 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan began to decline in popularity, but saw a revival once again during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The Ku Klux Klan continues to exist in the twenty-first century. It is, however, at present quite small in both numbers and influence. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC359_04
Subjects: Ku Klux Klan (1915- ); Racism--United States--History--20th century; Race relations; Discrimination;
Places: Richland County (Ohio)
 

Description: Picture of a corn field in Warren County, somewhere on Route #48, possibly near Lebanon, Ohio. A man appears to be sorting through a stack of corn in the center of the picture. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F07_004_001
Subjects: Warren County (Ohio)--Pictorial works; Lebanon (Warren County, Ohio : Civil jurisdiction)--Pictorial works; Agricultural crops; Corn--Harvesting
Places: Warren County (Ohio); Lebanon (Ohio : Township)
 

Description: Picture on a man standing in a harvested corn field. This picture was taken in Warren County, somewhere on Route #48, possibly near Lebanon, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F07_005_001
Subjects: Warren County (Ohio)--Pictorial works; Lebanon (Warren County, Ohio : Civil jurisdiction)--Pictorial works; Agricultural crops; Corn--Harvesting
Places: Warren County (Ohio); Lebanon (Ohio : Township)
 

Description: Photograph taken at the May 1892 dedication of a monument honoring abolitionist John Rankin named "Freedom's Heroes," on the grounds of the cemetery in Ripley, Ohio. Rankin (1793-1886) and his wife Jane (identified in some later records, as well as on this monument, as Jean) worked with their neighbors to assist thousands of slaves to escape to freedom. The monument includes the couple's birth and death dates, and is topped by a bust of Rankin. The crowd in the picture includes a number of African Americans with a range of ages, possibly those whom Rankin helped to freedom as well as their descendants. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01028
Subjects: African Americans--History; Underground Railroad; Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Monuments & memorials
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio)
 

Description: A woman sits sidesaddle on a horse as her picture is taken in the middle of the road. This photograph was taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed ""Ewing Brothers"" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b06_f344
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Animals
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: A boy stands for his picture in the garden. This photograph was taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed ""Ewing Brothers"" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b06_f355
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Children;
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: A large group of African Americans of all ages pose for this picture, taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed ""Ewing Brothers"" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b06_f357
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Children; African Americans
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: Three young people pose on a bench for their picture, taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b04_f260
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Children; Portrait photography--United States--History;
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: A group of people stand beside a house for a group picture. This photograph was taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b06_f360
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Families
Places: Ohio; West Virginia