Collection of Photographs and Ephemera Belonging to the Head of Atlanta's First African American Newspaper, Cornelius Adolphus Scott, and His Son
Georgia: 1946-1970s. A collection of 32 photographs and two letters, belonging to Cornelius Adolphus Scott and his son Stanley Scott, both members of the family that owned and founded the Atlanta Daily World, the oldest African American newspaper in Atlanta. The newspaper was founded by Cornelius' older brother, William Alexander Scott II, in 1928, but Cornelius took over in 1934 after his older brother was shot and killed. Stanley Scott was a journalist who served as a White House aide to Presidents Nixon and Ford. As the first Black reporter for United Press International, he was in the Audubon Ballroom in New York on Feb. 21, 1965, when Malcolm X was assassinated. The collection includes five photographs from the file of the Atlanta Daily World relating to the 1946 beating of Lamar Howard, who testified against the perpetrators of the Monroe Massacre, known as "the last mass lynching in America." The Atlanta Daily World played an active role in documenting this incident and others like it. Also included is a typed letter sent in 1949 to Cornelius Scott by Alvin W. Stokes, an African American investigator for the House Unamerican Activities Committee, relating to the perception of communism among the African American community; a 1949 circular letter by African American civil rights lawyer A.T. Walden relating to anti-lynching activism; 11 press photos relating to the 1970s White House Career of Stanley Scott; and 26 snapshot photos, circa 1960, depicting African American life in Atlanta. In very good condition overall, bit of creasing and soiling, curling to snapshots, toning and chipping to circular letter.
Five 8 x 10" photographs, two stamped by "Drinnon, Inc", a photo studio based in Macon, Ga, one stamped "Atlanta Daily World," the rest with no stamps, most captioned in pencil on the backs. These images relate to the 1946 beating of Lamar Howard, a young African American man who was severely beaten in retaliation for his role in testifying against the perpetrators of the Monroe Massacre of a year earlier, which historian Laura Wexler has called "the last mass lynching in America." According to Wexler, C.A. Scott of the Atlanta World learned of Lamar's beating the next day and sent two employees to Monroe, whose "photographs, which later ran large on the newspaper's front page, showcase Lamar Howard's injuries"; later that night "the newsmen laid Lamar Howard on the backseat of their car and drove him out of Monroe. 'I'm sort of a bully and I'd never be scared, but on those country roads with the lights shining behind you...' says William Fowlkes, one of the Atlanta Daily World reporters who traveled to Monroe that night, 'I knew something could happen just like that." Presumably, these are original file copies of the images Wexler references: a photograph of a badly injured Howard at the undetakers, an image of Howard next to Fowlkes, who is taking notes (a 1970s reprint of this image is also included, captioned "Wilson Fowlkes, ADW reporter Lamar Howard...at Butler Street Y...after being beat by whites connected w. Monroe Massacre in 1945"), a photograph of a brick house captioned "lynch jail", and two photographs of Howard's family on a rural porch (the family fled seven miles outside of town after the beating). Together with two original photographs, each measuring 4.5 x 2" and mounted to board, captioned "chronicled by Mr. Fowlkes 4/12/49." One image depicts an convalescing or dead African American man, above an image of a white man at a desk. These may related to a different incident.
Stokes, Alvin W. Typed Letter Signed. Washington DC: 1949. Typed letter sent to C.A. Scott, editor of the Atlanta Daily World, by Alvin Stokes, an African American investigator for the House Unamerican Activities Committee. The letter is on HUAC letterhead and relates to comments made by singer Paul Robeson about African Americans refusing to fight the Soviets. Stokes was investigating Robeson at the time and writes "It is hardly necessary to detail to you the immeasurable- perhaps, irreparable- damage to Human Relations Paul Robeson managed to accomplish by his statement at Paris in April 20th, that Negroes Will Not Fight The Soviets..." He adds that surveys on the reactions of whites to these comments reveal their beliefs that African Americans did, in fact have communist leanings, which "mirrors the Negro people--and Jews as well--as targets for a heretofore growing, but unobjective and unchannelled, contempt for communism and those associated with it. Spelled out this means DISUNITY among our people--just what Russia desires in the event of war." To rectify this situation, Stokes asks Scott, a known conservative, to conduct his own survey among his African American readership, regarding the "accuracy of Robeson's statement." The letter is affixed to two related newspaper clippings sent by Stokes. Bit creased and yellowed, offsetting to back page.
Walden, A.T. Signed Circular Letter. Atlanta: 1949. Circular letter signed by the prominent African American civil rights lawyer, as President of the Georgia Association of Citizens Democratic Clubs, on the letterhead of the organization. The letter calls a meeting at the Butler Street YMCA "as serious matters have developed that require our immediate attention." The letter urges that "we need to do something immediately to force passage in Congress of the Anti-Lynch Bill," and also urges action on the new Registration Bill. Bit of toning, few small chips to margins.
11 press photos likely belonging to Stanley S. Scott, son of C.A. Scott. Together with Scott's resume and a couple of newspaper articles on Scott. Various places: Late 1960s-1970s. Scott was a journalist who served as a White House aide to Presidents Nixon and Ford. As the first black reporter for United Press International, he was in the Audubon Ballroom in New York on Feb. 21, 1965, when Malcolm X was assassinated. Includes three 5 x 7" photos, one 4.5 x 8", one 5 x 8", two 6 x 8", and four 8 x 10". The images have handwritten or printed captions on the backs. Includes eight White House Press Photos (many stamped "White House Official Photograph" on backs), relating to African American subject matter--a meeting between Ford and the Congressional Black Caucus chairman Charles Rangel, a photo of Lionel Hampton with Richard Nixon, a shot of the arrival of President Nixon in Atlanta (greeted by African American politicians), a photo of a meeting between Stanley Scott and Doris A. Davis, mayor of Compton and the first African American woman mayor of a United States city, two headshots of Scott, and a photo of the president of the N.N.P.A., an African American newspaper publishing group, responding to President Nixon at a meeting of 200 newspaper executives. Also includes two photos of events to encourage African American voting in Washington D.C., a photograph of an award given to African American Coca-Cola executives in Atlanta, and a 1967 photograph of Scott and another man by famed N.A.A.C.P. photographer Cecil Layne.
26 black and white photographs, circa 1960s, measuring 3.5 x 2.5" each. These photographs depict African American life in Atlanta, including many images taken in front of a house and in the backyard, two photos of a fire, several photographs of an Atlanta Public Schools driver's education car possibly operated by a family member, African American children posing with a coach bus, and more. Curling and slight fading to images. Item #6731
Price: $750.00