L0810 The photograph arrived at the Atlanta History Center in September 2019, tucked inside a water-stained cardboard box with dozens of other items from the estate of Dorothy Williams, who had died at 97. The box sat unopened for three weeks until Marcus Thompson, a graduate intern, began cataloging its contents. He pulled out the photograph … Read more
A photograph arrived at the Chicago History Museum in March 2024 as part of a large donation from the estate of a former journalist who had spent decades collecting images of Black Chicago. Dr. Marcus Thompson, a curator specializing in African-American history and the Great Migration, sorted through hundreds of images: church gatherings, street scenes, … Read more
At first glance, it was a portrait of love. A mother stands on the porch of a simple wooden house, three children gathered around her, her arms wrapped protectively over them. Her face is striking, her black hair pinned back in a 1920s style, her smile so bright it seems to light the whole scene. … Read more
Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass mein gesamtes Erspartes eines Tages gegen mich verwendet werden würde. Aber genau das geschah, als mein Telefon um Mitternacht klingelte. Ich bin Henriette, eine Witwe, die ein ruhiges, geordnetes Leben führt. Normalerweise verbringe ich meine Abende mit einem guten Buch auf der Terrasse, nicht mit hysterischen Finanznotfällen. Doch als ich … Read more
The archive room of the Baltimore Historical Society was unusually quiet on a Tuesday morning in March. Dr. Rebecca Thompson sat at her desk, surrounded by boxes of photographs donated by the estate of a prominent Baltimore family. The Montgomery collection had been in storage for decades, forgotten until the family's last heir passed away … Read more
Meine Mutter lächelte über den Esstisch hinweg. „Wir haben Ryan Zugriff auf deine Ersparnisse gegeben. “, sagte sie, als wäre es die natürlichste Sache der Welt. „Er brauchte das Geld dringender als du. “ Niemand bewegte sich. Ryan lehnte sich zurück, als hätte er bereits gewonnen. Mein Vater konnte mir nicht einmal in die Augen … Read more
Ich starrte auf das billige Stück Papier in meiner Hand. Kein Goldrand wie bei den anderen, kein Seidenband, keine elegante Kalligrafie. Es stand nur in dickem, hässlichem, schwarzem Druck darauf: Gast, eingeschränkter Zugang. Es sah aus wie ein Besucherausweis für eine Fabrikbesichtigung. Ich stand im Foyer eines der teuersten Weingüter des Rheingaus, umgeben von Menschen … Read more
A photograph arrived at the Chicago History Museum in March 2024 as part of a large donation from the estate of a former journalist who had spent decades collecting images of Black Chicago. Dr. Marcus Thompson, a curator specializing in African-American history and the Great Migration, sorted through hundreds of images: church gatherings, street scenes, … Read more
In May 1945, Germany surrendered and the war in Europe ended. But for roughly 5,000 American soldiers, the war was not over. They had been prisoners in German camps, liberated by Soviet forces, and were now being held in Soviet-controlled territory. According to the Yalta agreement, they should have been returned to American control immediately. … Read more
In April 1945, outside Munich, a mess sergeant faced a problem he had never encountered before. He had just served lunch to 200 German prisoners of war: standard American rations of bread, soup, and canned meat. The food was good, better than what most Germans were eating at the time. But the prisoners were not … Read more