/internal/media/dispatcher/45413/fullFuneral fan with an image of Martin Luther King Jr.196811 7/8 × 7 1/2 in. (30.2 × 19.1 cm)Paper, Wood, MetalThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection2001.056.00020Hand-held fan featuring a color reproduction of a painting of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The fan is made of a piece of cardstock that has been attached to a thin, wooden handle with two metal staples. The cardstock has rounded corners and the top is slightly wider than the bottom. "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr" is printed across the bottom of the image inside a white banner. Printed in black in the lower right portion of the fan is the following information:
"8747
(c) A. Scheer
Made in U S A"
The back of the fan is printed with the following information:
"Compliments of
Robbins Funeral Home
Benton Harbor, Mich."
Fan is in Fair condition. The handle has undulating sides and there is a 2 1/2" piece broken off the bottom left side (as you look at the front of the fan) of the handle. Fan is creased and worn, with surface losses in the areas of the creases. The area around the bottom staple is particularly worn; the paper here has separated into different layers and is creased. The edges of the fan are worn and bent in places. The back of the fan has some dark-colored liquid stains in the upper right area and a dark gray stain in the lower left. There is other scattered discoloration overall. (KW 08/26/2015)Artifacts6385219.050000000030.162560325122615FanHand-held fan featuring a color reproduction of a painting of Martin Luther King Jr. The fan is made of a piece of cardstock that has been attached to a thin, wooden handle with two metal staples. "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr" is printed across the bottom of the image, inside a white banner. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
The back of the fan is printed with the following information:
"Compliments of
Robbins Funeral Home
Benton Harbor, Mich."
Printed in black on the lower right front of the fan is the following information:
"8747
(c) A. Scheer
Made in U S A"FuneralCivil rightsKing, Martin Luther, Jr.Benton HarborThis funeral fan was displayed in the lobby of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza for one year as part of the "Loss and Renewal: Transforming Tragic Sites" exhibit. This special display, created in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, explored how several sites of tragedy - including the Lorraine Motel, site of the 1968 King assassination in Memphis - were transformed into reflective spaces that help individuals contemplate the meaning of an event. The Lorraine Motel is today the National Civil Rights Museum. - Stephen Fagin, Curator