"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot.

"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot. https://mohistory.org/collections/item/N08481
Item sets
The 1917 East St. Louis Race Massacre
Title
"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot.
Description
Horizontal, black and white photograph showing discontented messages written on the second floor of an unidentified house. Some signs read:
"People take this as a joke. What we need is a box of soap.
We left our girls in that great big town. We wonder who's with them, we ain't around.
We came down here to stop the riot. All we do is walk up and down all night.
This place looks like a grave. Who will donate us a shave.
We admit this is a show. But that don't get us no dough."

"Our bath tub" is written on a pitcher, and "Roof garden" is written above a box of wilted plants. Other signs are written around a window, and pieces of broken glass are scattered in front of it. This image is a detail of image 7935. Several related images show the house from various angles and include signs identifying the authors of the graffiti as soldiers from Company K, of the Second Illinois National Guard.

Company K was sent to East St. Louis to respond to the East St. Louis race riots of July 1917, and this photograph likely shows destruction in the aftermath of the violence.
Subject
East St. Louis Race Massacre
East St. Louis Race Riot
East St. Louis
African American History
Graffiti
Buildings
Temporal Coverage
1910-1919
Format
Photograph
WRSTL project
Group of African American men reporting property losses around time of 1917 Race Riot in East St. Louis. https://mohistory.org/collections/item/N40698The 1917 East St. Louis Race Massacre
"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot. https://mohistory.org/collections/item/N07937"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot.
"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot. https://mohistory.org/collections/item/N07935"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot.
"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot. https://mohistory.org/collections/item/N07936"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot.
Source
Missouri Historical Society

Linked resources

Media
"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot. https://mohistory.org/collections/item/N08481"Hotel DeBreeze." Abandoned house covered with graffiti by Co. K, Second Illinois National Guard. Destruction likely occurred during the East St. Louis race riot.