The 1968 Chicago Riots were sparked by the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Violence and chaos followed, with people flooding out onto the streets of major cities. Soon riots began, primarily in black urban areas. Over 100 major U.S. cities experienced disturbances, resulting in roughly $50 million in damage. Rioters and police in Chicago were particularly aggressive, and the damage was severe. Of the 39 people who died in the nationwide disturbances, 34 were black. Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington DC experienced some of the worst riots following King's assassination.

On recto: typewritten title and date.
On verso: manuscript title, date and newspaper stamp.

Wire photographs were originally transmitted over phonelines, then later, by satellite. They were first used in the early 1920s. Associated Press became a leader with this. After pigment touch-ups, etc., the print is put into a drum (like a drum scanner). The image gets converted into audio tones that are transmitted. The tones are received and beamed onto photo-sensitive paper. Wire photographs are copies without originals---they are hybrid, transmitted objects. (Britt Salvesen, Curator and Department Head, Photography Department, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, March 30-31, 2022)

This object has the following keywords:

• 1968 Chicago Riot
• Aerial photography
• Assassinations
• Civil Rights Movements
• Fire
• Fire engines
• Firefighters
• Injustice
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Racial Discrimination
• Snipers
• Street Scenes
• West Side

• Image Dimensions: 6 9/16 x 8 15/16 in. (16.67 x 22.7 cm) Measured by Hudson, Karen
• Sheet Dimensions: 8 x 9 15/16 in. (20.32 x 25.24 cm) Measured by Hudson, Karen