This incredibly short documentary touches on a tough subject: Photographic evidence of hate crimes from around the turn of the 19th century, specifically such photographs printed as postcards. Lynching Postcards provides a quick but informative crash course on the social issues which arise during the Reconstruction period and connects these issues with the practice of lynching. While already horrific in action, the added vulgarity and incivility of lynching photography is an intriguing study, though grotesque.
This short film uses expert interviews to quickly define and examine the white supremacist nature of both lynching and the act of capturing black corpses on film for printing and resale. One expert explains that it is just another form of ownership of black bodies which served to fuel white supremacist beliefs as well as show one’s support for such actions.
While understandably short because of the focus on racialized murder—just over 13 minutes—further analysis of the townsfolk, their leadership, police actions, and state or federal culpability would have been very interesting. The images on display in this short documentary are incredibly disturbing and include not just black men and women hanging from trees, gallows, and structures, but corpses of those burnt alive, mutilated and dismembered.
Beside these disturbing images are the sickening smiles of onlookers and perpetrators, those who elbowed their way towards the camera as the photographer set up, proud to be included in such an event. People such as these describe the organized barbarism of public lynchings as “picnics” or “barbeques.”
Such festivities of violence served as a means of ownership of black bodies, as extremely rarely were any individuals tried let alone punished for their crimes. While certainly not for all audiences, Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day does an outstanding job of examining the post-reconstruction era culture of lynching and those who profited from the act. This documentary is highly recommended.
What type of college/university professors would find this title valuable?
Professors of early modern history, Reconstruction era American history, and racial studies will find great instructional value in this short film.