158 300
POSSIBLY THE EARLIEST KNOWN IMAGE
280
●
(KLAN.) CASED IMAGES.
Ku Klux Klansman in black hooded robe, with
skull and bones in white on chest.
Sixth plate cased tintype.
Np, late 1860’s
[30,000/40,000]
AN EXTRAORDINARY NINETEENTH CENTURY TINTYPE PHOTOGRAPH OF A KU KLUX MEM
-
BER
,
ONE OF THE EARLIEST
,
IF NOT THE EARLIEST SUCH IMAGE KNOWN
.
Two carte-de-visite
albumen photographs of Klan members are known to exist, and have been dated to 1867 and
1871—- from writing that appears on the backs of the mounts. We believe the present tintype pre-
dates the 1871 image and might well predate the 1867 image
The Klan was formed in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866 by a group of Confederate veterans. The
Klansman depicted here, dressed in black robes with a skull and crossed bones across his chest would
certainly strike fear in the hearts of his intended victims as was the general idea. Early Klan robes var-
ied and were designed to look as frightening as possible; they were home-made and could vary widely
in design. However when the Klan was reformed in the 1920’s, robes were uniformly white, but for
any symbols of “rank” that might appear on the chest.