Name/Title
Program for D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of A Nation"Entry/Object ID
2013.7.6Description
Tan booklet bound with green string. The cover contains an image of the United States Capitol dome surrounded by clouds. Under the dome reads "D.W. Griffith's" in blue lettering, followed by "The Birth of a Nation" in brown lettering. The front cover illustration is embossed and has gold and blue printing. The back cover illustration is of a Ku Klux Klansman on his horse. The interior pages contain articles and illustrations advertising the film, "The Birth of a Nation."Context
"The Birth of a Nation," originally called "The Clansman," is a silent film exploring U.S. history during the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. It is based on the novel "The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan," published in 1905 by Thomas Dixon, Jr. (1864–1946) of North Carolina. It primarily follows two white families—the Stonemans of the North and the Camerons of the South—and uses Black characters, played by white actors in blackface, to represent various racist tropes. The film's heroic portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan led to that group's revival shortly after its release.
Despite being a landmark film for its technical innovation and the first motion picture to be screened inside the White House (under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson), "Birth of the Nation" has also been called one of the most racist films ever made due to its characterizations of Black people as corrupt, immoral, and criminal. The film was still a commercial success, due in part to Griffith's marketing strategy, which made viewing the film into an experience, complete with its own orchestra score and this souvenir program.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Thomas Dixon, Jr.
