This beautifully-shot collection of photographs chronicles the daily life of the Black residents of East St. Louis, Illinois during the late 1960s. Shot in the aftermath of Jim Crow and just before the economic collapse of the city, these photographs poignantly chronicle this important American city. Once the fourth largest city in Illinois, East St. Louis was a busy center for industry until the second half of the 20th century when the finances of the city were destroyed by the relocation of factories and railroads.

With a Black population of about 96%, this collection accurately reflects that census. A majority of the photographs show joyful scenes of smiling children playing together, flying kites, shooting hoops, and cooling off under the shower of a fire hydrant. While the effects of segregation are present, there are also signs of congregation, like the image of two white children playing in the spray of the hydrant with the other Black children, the summer heat acting as an equalizing force. Another poignant photo shows a young girl swinging on a rope but on the ground beneath her lies a white doll. Other photographs feature portraits of entertainers and musicians as the city was home to many famed jazz and R&B talents such as Tina Turner and Miles Davis.

Other photos show shots of the city, with a focus on composition and light –- silhouettes of nuns on a pier backlit by the water, a high contrast facade of a building with striking vertical lines, and the shadowy figures of laborers unloading a truck. The photographer takes care to obscure the photos of non-black subjects. The photographer also shows an interest in photographing luxury cars. Included are multiple lustrous images of an Oldsmobile Toronado, which first debuted in 1966; and the front hood of a Pontiac.

The images were created by local photographer Hugh Dietz.