Lynching photo exhibit draws record numbers

ATLANTA - A rare exhibit on lynching photos at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site Visitor Center is drawing record numbers and bringing a new audience to the rest of the site. <br> <br> Since its opening in May, about 100,000 people have visited the exhibit, ``Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America.&#39;&#39; That&#39;s more than double the number who saw the exhibit during a comparable period of time at the New York Historical Society in 2000. <br> <br> Attendance at the Visitor Center jumped 25 percent during the first month and about half that in June and July, with people coming from as far as away as Maine and Michigan. <br> <br> ``On Saturdays, we get up to 5,000 visitors, and there&#39;s quite a din in the lobby,&#39;&#39; said Frank Catroppa, superintendent of the site. ``But inside the exhibition, it is very quiet. People don&#39;t talk. And they spend a lot of time, reading the labels, unlike in other exhibitions.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The nearby Freedom Hall and Ebenezer Baptist Church have also seen an influx of visitors, but spokeswoman Saudia Muwwakkil says that may be because of the January reopening of church after its restoration. <br> <br> ``We do feel that some people have been introduced to the center through the exhibition, which was covered on CNN,&#39;&#39; she said. ``At one point, we were getting 200 calls a day about it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Catroppa, who has seen contingents of educators tour this summer, expects the figures will remain steady when schools start their field trips. <br> <br> The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 31.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/190661