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#1
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Opinions on historical artifacts....
I recently was asked to view a large collection of American artifacts and to give an opinion of some of the objects in a private collection. This collector is known to accept anything that is historical and has a large collection of stuff that was once junk and are now considered objects of historical interest.
Much of what he has was given to him. Some of the objects deal with the KKK and he was given them when some old guy would die and his heirs would find the stuff packed away. It was historical, so they asked him if he wanted it and every time he said, "Of course." We were wondering.... If he puts some of his collection on public display should these items be among them? He has a lot of Nazi stuff, too, and no one seems to have any problem with it, but the Klan stuff creeps some people out. Some of these items are not regular sheets but Grand Dragon or Kilngon or Poobah or whatever name they went by stuff. The Klan items make up about five items out of a thousand or so turn of the Century things like household items, tools, etc....... Anyone know of any other display like this and how it is presented? Or should it be presented at all? |
#2
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I know a lot of Black History Museums would love to show this stuff & a lot of African Americans collect anything that has to do with historic racism. (According the Antiques Roadshow)
Many years ago We had an acquaintance that "collected Indian Artifacts" by digging up burial sites all throughout the west........I think it was perfectly legal at the time. His whole basement was a museum of musty "Indian curios". I would try to put together entire skeletons from boxes & boxes of injun bones & skulls; this was about 1964.
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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration... don't Fail Us Now" |
#3
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I wouldn't mind seeing it if it was in a historical context. OTOH, if it was an Imperial Wizard doing it at his home, it might be different. One case simply puts it up for display and you make what you will of it. Much like a concentration camp tour. It is our past. The Imperial Wizard would probably use it as a show of Klan greatness and the direction we should take.
I think the issue is that the Klan stuff is more local and we cannot fob it onto someone else while the Nazi stuff can be said to be "Well, it happened a long, long time ago in a place far, far away.".
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#4
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While it (KKK and Nazi stuff) is repulsive, it is historically significant.
I can understand the part about being creeped out. I've watched some programs on the History Channel and Bio on both subjects and found myself changing the whenever any of the kids entered the room. Instead I should use it as an opportunity to teach.
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#5
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He might want to donate it to
The Stetson Kennedy Foundation 1519 State Road 13, Fruit Cove, Fl 32259 He was a Journalist, a Klan fighter, and did undercover work for the FBI and the GBI and was pivotal in exposing the Klan and their control of Georgia politics in the 1950's. Much of his collected Klan artifacts were destroyed in a fire in the 1970's and I know that the foundation has been looking for artifacts (robes, insignia, etc) to use in the travelling educational exhibit that have put together. http://www.stetsonkennedy.com |
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