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Images of America's main streets were a favorite subject at the peak of postcard popularity and the height of lynching frequency. In this example, these phenomena are accurately and historically linked. Without fear of judicial reprisals, United States citizens committed repeated acts of extralegal violence on their busiest streets. An anonymous sender indicated the site of the lynching of Will James, or "Froggie," by inking an X and a spiderlike stick figure over Hustler's Arch. At the top left of the card, in brown ink, he placed a corresponding X and the words "where they Hung the Coon." Hustler's Arch was a prominent and well-lit landmark in Cairo, where banners were customarily hung for Fourth of July celebrations, fairs, and circus parades. |