Photographic postcard of the Ku Klux Klan marching down Pennsylvania Avenue: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photographic postcard of a large parade of Ku Klux Klan members, including women and children, marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. The image is captured looking southeast down the avenue towards the United States Capitol Building in the distance. The Klan marchers are seen arranged across the avenue in rows and bands stretching down the avenue into the distance. All wear white robes and conical hats. Leading the procession at center is a band of men, one waving a large American flag and another holding a banner for the "Ballston KKK Band No. 6, Realm of Virginia." There are marching band musicians on either side and directly behind "Band No. 6." Behind the musicians at left are a band of women marchers and directly behind the musicans on the right are a band of child marchers, all wearing Klan garb. Spectators gathered to view the parade are gathered along the avenue on both sides, as well as in the immediate foreground of the image. The verso is printed with [POST CARD] and a NOKO stamp box. A handwritten inscription on the left side reads [Taken at / Washington D.C. / 1926.]. A later inscription in a different hand across the top reads [women and children parading].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: September 13, 1926
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Ku Klux Klan, 2nd, American, 1915 - 1944
• Subject of: Women of the Ku Klux Klan, American, founded 1923
• Published by: NOKO
• Type: photographic postcards
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with ink and card stock
• Dimensions: H x W: 3 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. (8.6 x 13.7 cm)
• Place depicted: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Local and regional
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Race discrimination
• Topic: U.S. History, 1919-1933
• Topic: White supremacy movements
• Object number: 2010.36.4.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.