When the Internet Uncovers the Past and Sets it Straight
October 11, 2024
The internet can be a wonderful place.
It is where internet sleuths set out to discover the long-forgotten identity of a mysterious woman from a collection of striking thrift-store photographs (Or, to be more accurate, slide film transparencies).
It is also where, after the story behind the photographs came to light, a decades-long injustice was set straight.
An article from Flashbak tells the story of how a random find of a collection of photographs led to the rediscovery of a jazz musician mostly forgotten by time.
Claudia Thompson was a Black artist from the 60s with striking natural blonde hair and an unmatched voice.
Unfortunately, as was evidenced by the photographs, Thompson was left off the cover of her debut album, a decision music executives at the time hoped would make her music more “palatable” to audiences.
The internet’s discovery of Thompson and the story of her album sparked a revived interest in her music and the reissuing of her album — and this time it had her photograph on the cover.
