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A black and white photograph of Freedom Riders in a bus looking out at soldiers walking along t…
Untitled
A black and white photograph of Freedom Riders in a bus looking out at soldiers walking along t…
A black and white photograph of Freedom Riders in a bus looking out at soldiers walking along the road.
Untitled, Time of Change series, Bruce Davidson, 1961, vintage gelatin silver print, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, © Bruce Davidson.

Untitled

Artist (American, born 1933)
Date1961
Mediumvintage gelatin silver print
DimensionsImage (approx.): 6 1/2 × 9 1/4 inches (16.5 × 23.5 cm)
Sheet: 8 × 10 inches (20.3 × 25.4 cm)
Matted: 16 × 20 inches (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
Portfolio/Series"Time of Change" series
MarkingsBlue stamp on the back left vertically oriented with handwritten text in black ink: "[between two horizontal lines] BLACKS: [handwritten] Freedom Riders" Black stamp on the back top center: "[rectangle] Photograph By / Bruce Davidson / © 1968 MAGNUM PHOTOS, INC. / 15 West 46th Street, N. Y. C. 10036" Black stamp on the back top center with handwritten text in black ink: "61-15 [handwritten] -11/36" Faded black rectangular stamp on the back left: "MAGNUM / PHOTO LIBRARY PRINT / NEW YORK. / ______ / LOG REF: _____ / TO BE RETURNED."
Credit LineGift of an anonymous donor.
Object number2018.16.335
On View
Not on view
Copyright© Bruce Davidson 1961. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextOn May 25, 1961, Bruce Davidson—a young photographer on assignment for the New York Times—joined a group of Freedom Riders traveling from Montgomery, Alabama (where this image was taken) to Jackson, Mississippi. The Riders, whose trips started in early May that year, were travelling throughout the South to peacefully protest segregation in transportation. They were often met with arrests and incredible acts of violence, frequently condoned by law enforcement. In some instances, mobs physically assaulted the protestors and burned the buses they travelled in. As seen in this photograph, the National Guard was sent to escort the Riders during their travels. On May 29, 1961, the Kennedy administration announced that it had directed the Interstate Commerce Commission to ban segregation in all facilities under its jurisdiction. Even after this victory, many continued the rides to test the law, which officials claimed would take effect in November of 1961. Before the Freedom Rides, vehicles had been successfully employed to subvert and protest segregation. For instance, in 1955, during the Montgomery bus boycott, African Americans refused to ride segregated buses and protestors developed a “free ride” system to exert pressure on the city. This coordinated effort, which lasted 381 days, led to the integration of Montgomery’s buses in December 1956.
Subject MatterMontgomery, Alabama, United States of America
Telfair Museum
Copyright © Telfair Museum