Old Courthouse Gate

Stanley Blake McNeely

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Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXV, No. 1516, Jan.9, 1886
This black and white photograph represents the facade of a large brick building (Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church) with two towers and a large street-facing staircase. The image is taken from across a street corner. The staircase of the building is covered in a crowd of African American people, and on the surrounding streets there are a number of white police offiers and police vehicles, including one that dominates the lower edge of the image. A tree stands in front of part of the building's facade and a street light floats in the upper right corner of the image.
Amongst dense foliage that blooms with tall stalks containing yellow flowers are four birds with brown, black and white topsides and yellow undersides. The four birds are seen in various motions. One is flying upwards, two are on the ground, and one peaks its head out from a nest, which is nestled into the foliage.
Seated Child, Paul Resika, crayon lithograph