Late 1850-80's winnowing hood - typically worn by people who where threshing and winnowing grain, sometimes worn while bailing grains, grasses, and other stalk heavy material. They keep the fine grains, dust, and other itchy scratchy material from going into their clothing. That looks like a reaper behind them to the right.
And the reaper would explain the guy holding the oil can. Early forms of machinery were in constant need of oiling. No sealed bearings and much of the bearing surfaces were poured babbitt.
They look like grain sacks worn as hoods to keep the sun off of their heads, necks and shoulders. If it was KKK they would all be wearing full regalia because why would they not?
Actually they rarely did and often wore nothing unusual at all, except for in pictures where they needed to remain anonymous because even 100 years ago they knew they were the scumdogs of American ignorance.
The KKK ceased to be as an organization around 1872 and didn't spring back into existence until the movie Birth of a Nation hit theaters in 1915. If that photo is from the early 1900s, it's not a Klan event.
KKK in old pics I've seen are always wearing white hoods & robes, & they attended their meetings AFTER work! Also, KKK hoods often have slightly individual styles- these appear to have all been gotten from a single source. 2nd row far R is holding an oil can, which would indicate that he has to tend some kind of machine; in the background there is a suggestion of some machinery. These guys appear to be 'on the job'. Most are dressed in work clothes suitable for warmth. I'm inclined to believe they're a work crew of some sort, perhaps threshing grain. I have no idea about the hoods, unless to keep off the dust & chaff generated by the process...
I was stopped by 5 Klansmen in one of the most remote counties in GA. My brother was the town doctor and I was going to babysit his two sons. . This was during the early 1980’s. I was petrified despite having my German Shepherd and a small pistol. They left me alone and apologized once my dog started growling and I put my hand on my pistol. I am white. Their robes were white with the pointy hoods like a dunce cap. The five men were hiding under the bridge and stopping people. It made me feel ashamed of being white. The sheriff did nothing to the men. Maybe he was one of them.
It’s worth noting that the KKK robes/hoods are modeled after the monastic orders of Europe. Many monasteries used robes and hoods of similar design, but they were most often brown in color.
The 2nd Klan didn't really get going until the 1920s, so before that, unlikely but not impossible. Also, pointy hoods aren't owned by Klan. For example, lots of Catholic orders wear them, like during Semana Santa. And in this picture, they look functional, like keeping shit from going down their shirt?
These men look as if they are going to work in the fields. It doesn’t matter where they were; they needed to be protected from sun and dust. Their eyes needed to protected, too. The KKK would not allow pictures to be taken with their faces visible.
Pretty sure it’s the hand of the guy to their right (2nd from left). It’d be his left hand on the shoulder, and that’s definitely a left hand. Plus the person with the hand on their shoulder looks a bit wider, making their arm/shoulder block the attached arm of the hand. Then it runs into the hat/cover thing of the man in the second row.
Well it looks like a work detail and one guy is holding an oil can. And I think the person in white in the back row is a woman. So don’t think it’s a klan group.
Unrelated, but I was looking at my great grandpa’s college yearbook (so 1920-ish), and one of the social clubs shown was the KKK. Pretty wild and horribly sad. No, he was not in it.
KKK hoods hide the faces of the shit-face cowards that wear them. These are innocent, peaceful hoods simply meant to keep the sun off the heads and necks of the field workers as well as to keep the bits of crap that flies up from what they harvest from going down their shirts and bugging the hell out of them. These are honest, hard-working hoods just making a decent living.
Someone has already explained these hoods, so let me just add that (aside from the fact that these don't look at all like Klan hoods) the hood thing was popular among many secret societies back in the day, most of them not racist or nefarious. The KKK ruined that and now most don't use them. Kind of like Hitler ruined the little mustache.
Obviously there are non racist explanations as to why laborers during that era would be wearing protective hoods. The title of this post seems intentionally inflammatory.
These look like grain bags folded over into makeshift hats. This may be intended as a funny picture. People didn’t smile for pictures back then, which makes for a different tone.
Does it look like a torch in the far right gentleman’s hand? Any chance they could be old-time wilderness firefighters/ hired hands for doing controlled burns and those hoods were for heat protection? Those look like really heavy material to be wearing during harvest
What an interesting photo. What was your great grandfather’s occupation? I notice one man is wearing a three-piece suit. Another could be a woman. One holds an oil can — for farm machinery? There is some ethnic diversity in the group, so probably not all family. All are relatively warmly dressed, so it isn’t likely the head coverings are sun protection. More likely protection from rain and cold. They’re vaguely reminiscent of medieval hood Hard to tell what they’re made of, but they would be easy to construct. Please tell us all you know about your ancestor! Definitely not KKK, though.
Vaguely remember seeing this sort of thing, wheat was loaded into bags, and these guys would carry them on to a truck or similar. I guess the hood stopped all the wheat going down their back.
Not that I have looked into the KKK much, but the ones I have seen from historic photos look a good bit different. I would say more to the winnowing hood like mentioned otherwise, those have a wider girth and less height for peak. The hoods the clan wore, if/when they wore hoods back then, were more narrow and had a higher peak.
Truth be told, your great grandma got a new sewing machine (foot powered) and she could only sew in 90 degrees sections. Grandpa wanted to show off her skills with the fellas he worked with. Later that evening your father was conceived
Funny I don’t see white, I see brown hoods or gray maybe. Definitely not white. And I’m pretty sure the KKK hid their faces that was kind of the point of their hoods
I’m not a photo expert but this looks like an 1880-1890s, a still photo. Anything moving doesn’t show up or looks like a blur. Anything still shows up.
If they were in the KKK, that seems like the most half-assed unit that there ever was. They’re all wearing different clothes under the hood instead of the white robes. And none of them looks like they give a shit about being there (no enthusiasm).
Late 1850-80's winnowing hood - typically worn by people who where threshing and winnowing grain, sometimes worn while bailing grains, grasses, and other stalk heavy material. They keep the fine grains, dust, and other itchy scratchy material from going into their clothing. That looks like a reaper behind them to the right.
Of course there’s somebody here on Reddit with the most random niche knowledge of mid 19th century working hoods. Never fails.
I’m wondering if that’s why the grim reaper wears a hood like that. A precursory google search didn’t have an answer…
And the reaper would explain the guy holding the oil can. Early forms of machinery were in constant need of oiling. No sealed bearings and much of the bearing surfaces were poured babbitt.
Omg thank you! My grandma said they were wheat threshers but I couldn’t find any pictures with the same type of headwear.
This guy winnows.
This is exactly it. My great great grandfather wore this same outfit
Which would also explain why the one guy is holding an oil can.
You should not fear him
Mr 69 with the niche facts
This thread immediately turned into
Now all my mind thinks is “Jedi of the grains”
Also one guy towards the right is holding an oil can possibly for the reaper.
The oil can is a big clue, definitely not a KKK meeting
Was my grandpa a racist? Naw man just a poor ass farmer.
Is that you Mr. Trebek?
Yes you can see the controls for using the horse drawn cart and a guy with an oil can to keep it no so squeaky lol
So they’re not Assassins? How disappointing.
They look like grain sacks worn as hoods to keep the sun off of their heads, necks and shoulders. If it was KKK they would all be wearing full regalia because why would they not?
Plus the guy bottom right would be having a whole different experience.
Actually they rarely did and often wore nothing unusual at all, except for in pictures where they needed to remain anonymous because even 100 years ago they knew they were the scumdogs of American ignorance.
“Who cut the holes in this, I can’t see shit”
“Don’t ask me and mine fer nuthin!”
“I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.”
Well shit fire! I cant see, you cant see, all that matters is can the fuckin horse see? Thats a raid!
Hold on, I’m fucking with my eyehole.
All that matters is can the fuckin horse see
🤣
The KKK ceased to be as an organization around 1872 and didn't spring back into existence until the movie Birth of a Nation hit theaters in 1915. If that photo is from the early 1900s, it's not a Klan event.
Not to mention those aren't the right hoods...
KKK in old pics I've seen are always wearing white hoods & robes, & they attended their meetings AFTER work! Also, KKK hoods often have slightly individual styles- these appear to have all been gotten from a single source. 2nd row far R is holding an oil can, which would indicate that he has to tend some kind of machine; in the background there is a suggestion of some machinery. These guys appear to be 'on the job'. Most are dressed in work clothes suitable for warmth. I'm inclined to believe they're a work crew of some sort, perhaps threshing grain. I have no idea about the hoods, unless to keep off the dust & chaff generated by the process...
I was stopped by 5 Klansmen in one of the most remote counties in GA. My brother was the town doctor and I was going to babysit his two sons. . This was during the early 1980’s. I was petrified despite having my German Shepherd and a small pistol. They left me alone and apologized once my dog started growling and I put my hand on my pistol. I am white. Their robes were white with the pointy hoods like a dunce cap. The five men were hiding under the bridge and stopping people. It made me feel ashamed of being white. The sheriff did nothing to the men. Maybe he was one of them.
Also, this group is more diverse than your average klanclave; a couple of the people in the back row and front appear to be Native American.
It’s worth noting that the KKK robes/hoods are modeled after the monastic orders of Europe. Many monasteries used robes and hoods of similar design, but they were most often brown in color.
Looks like a bunch of laborers protecting themselves from the sun.
Those are gnomes
*Underpants gnomes
Bro, a white hood doesn't mean KKK. KKK has had a very particular costume. This one is clearly for work.
I don't think I see any white hoods in the fucking picture
How did you do this?
are these the actual colors?
There is one asian dude in front row, and a woman in the back, this is not kkk imo
This doesn't even remotely look like kkk.
reddit moment by op
For one thing, the hoods aren't white. Compare them to some of the shirts that probably are white.
Op doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Looks like harvest time. Men would wear sacks over their heads/shoulders to stop hay bales they would carry scratching their skin (?)
Your great grandfather was a Jedi, just like his father was before him. The force is strong in you, OP.
Bright Eyes Bushy Hair is the chosen one Qui-Gone Rob
Kkk was a boys club and I think I see a woman also the hoods covered their faces for a reason.
And at least one non-Caucasian (is this the term Americans use?) person.
The 2nd Klan didn't really get going until the 1920s, so before that, unlikely but not impossible. Also, pointy hoods aren't owned by Klan. For example, lots of Catholic orders wear them, like during Semana Santa. And in this picture, they look functional, like keeping shit from going down their shirt?
You’re officially a Keebler Elf. Welcome to the family.
Now go bake us some cookies!
These men look as if they are going to work in the fields. It doesn’t matter where they were; they needed to be protected from sun and dust. Their eyes needed to protected, too. The KKK would not allow pictures to be taken with their faces visible.
how do you know the hoods are white?
They clearly aren't
Those look like repurposed grain bags on their heads
The KKK hood was designed to hide their faces.
Its a hood.. they are working on a field. Its warm, its sunny, its to avoid sunburns at your neck, ears and head in general.
Back row, third from left. Who’s mother-effing hand is that?? Genuinely creepy.
Pretty sure it’s the hand of the guy to their right (2nd from left). It’d be his left hand on the shoulder, and that’s definitely a left hand. Plus the person with the hand on their shoulder looks a bit wider, making their arm/shoulder block the attached arm of the hand. Then it runs into the hat/cover thing of the man in the second row.
Have you seen a picture of the kkk?
Not kkk, looks like work related
These are not Klans hoods
Garden gnomes, of course.
Hoods wrong, looks like a field worker in the south but nothing racial about it.
This isn’t KKK related.
Winnowing hoods! ROTFL!
KKK typically wouldn’t show their faces from what I’ve seen. Correct me if I’m wrong tho love to learn!
great grandpa rises from the grave, paddles your ass for insulting him
Pointy hat ≠ kkk.
lame ass woke joke attempt is what it was
These guys are workers. Probably working around something hot to cover the back of their heads. Could iron workers or rail workers
Well it looks like a work detail and one guy is holding an oil can. And I think the person in white in the back row is a woman. So don’t think it’s a klan group.
Easy that's the JJJ.
There were a ton a pointy style hats throughout history. Generally they were easier and simpler to make than a round cap you might be thinking of
Unrelated, but I was looking at my great grandpa’s college yearbook (so 1920-ish), and one of the social clubs shown was the KKK. Pretty wild and horribly sad. No, he was not in it.
KKK hoods hide the faces of the shit-face cowards that wear them. These are innocent, peaceful hoods simply meant to keep the sun off the heads and necks of the field workers as well as to keep the bits of crap that flies up from what they harvest from going down their shirts and bugging the hell out of them. These are honest, hard-working hoods just making a decent living.
Someone has already explained these hoods, so let me just add that (aside from the fact that these don't look at all like Klan hoods) the hood thing was popular among many secret societies back in the day, most of them not racist or nefarious. The KKK ruined that and now most don't use them. Kind of like Hitler ruined the little mustache.
If theses were klan they would not show faces. This is not klansmen
Obviously there are non racist explanations as to why laborers during that era would be wearing protective hoods. The title of this post seems intentionally inflammatory.
Kinda weird to suspect your great grandfather may have been in the KKK but to then post it to oldschoolcool
This is not the KKK, it’s a theatre group impersonating friendly dwarfs. 💁🏼♂️
Didn’t farmers in Europe wear these hoods a lot? Any way definitely not the KKK
He was part of a village council,that kept the crime rate to 0 for decades, winning all "Great village" competitions.
Kkk hoods are white and cover the wearer’s face hiding their identity.
They probably arent even white (look at it compared to their clothes) it looks more like a rain cape.
Lol the hoods don’t even look white. They look the same color as the ground
Klan Kosplay lol
That hoods are open faced and one guy is holding an oil can. It’s a work crew of some type.
These look like grain bags folded over into makeshift hats. This may be intended as a funny picture. People didn’t smile for pictures back then, which makes for a different tone.
Definitely not KKK. The hoods would cover their faces because they are gutless cowards. Your great grandfather isn’t a douche.
Your great-grandfather was Obi-Wan Kenobi!
Nah, he was David the gnome
The hoods do not seem white to me.
This looks nothing like a KKK outfit… It is amazing how ignorant people can be and immediately assume a pointed hood must mean KKK 🥴
Does it look like a torch in the far right gentleman’s hand? Any chance they could be old-time wilderness firefighters/ hired hands for doing controlled burns and those hoods were for heat protection? Those look like really heavy material to be wearing during harvest
Never be quick to judge the past with a modern day gaze.
Because it’s hot and burny outside
I'm sure Great-Grandpa is looking down from above and is proud of his great grandson that was so quick to throw him under today's trendy bus
He was a Jedi
Those are not KKK hoods. Look like graining sacks to me, probably to protect from nature.
What an interesting photo. What was your great grandfather’s occupation? I notice one man is wearing a three-piece suit. Another could be a woman. One holds an oil can — for farm machinery? There is some ethnic diversity in the group, so probably not all family. All are relatively warmly dressed, so it isn’t likely the head coverings are sun protection. More likely protection from rain and cold. They’re vaguely reminiscent of medieval hood Hard to tell what they’re made of, but they would be easy to construct. Please tell us all you know about your ancestor! Definitely not KKK, though.
Y’all think everything is racist
Vaguely remember seeing this sort of thing, wheat was loaded into bags, and these guys would carry them on to a truck or similar. I guess the hood stopped all the wheat going down their back.
Beer keepers?
They're not hiding their faces, so that's not the KookyKowardKlan.
Does that look like the KKK to you? It shouldn’t because it doesn’t.
Jedi knights?
He’s obviously an old Jedi hermit.
I think he was a wizard!
These don't look anything like kkk hoods....
Broke ass assassin's Creed brotherhood type vibes
Wizard larping
Those are protections worn properly, not Klan wear pulled back to show the face.
As they say, Don't fear the reaper, he's in the hood, he's threshing not thrashing. LOVE PEACE WINNING.
Jedi counsil
No look at kkk on Wikipedia and then use this picture as reference
First version of obi wan kenobi
Not that I have looked into the KKK much, but the ones I have seen from historic photos look a good bit different. I would say more to the winnowing hood like mentioned otherwise, those have a wider girth and less height for peak. The hoods the clan wore, if/when they wore hoods back then, were more narrow and had a higher peak.
Also women are not allowed to wear the hood, and there is a lady in that photo.
It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you.
Truth be told, your great grandma got a new sewing machine (foot powered) and she could only sew in 90 degrees sections. Grandpa wanted to show off her skills with the fellas he worked with. Later that evening your father was conceived
“Alright now let’s do a silly one! Everybody grab a potato sack!”
Looks like the beginnings of dungeons and dragons. Or maybe really inadequate beekeeping.
He was probably a wizard.
Doesn't look like the standard issue low IQ linnen.
Funny I don’t see white, I see brown hoods or gray maybe. Definitely not white. And I’m pretty sure the KKK hid their faces that was kind of the point of their hoods
Yeah, this doesn't look like the Klan. There are some good explanations in the thread, though.
Just some old Jedi
He was definitely a Jedi
Not KKK. Just blocking the sun on your face. Probably made from the same sacks they use to bag the grain.
Gandalf convention??
Ok so it’s clearly not KKK but your title suggests you thought it was KKK and so you posted it in old school cool?
How can you tell the hoods are white?
That doesn't look white to me
Official headgear of the Vulva Appreciation Society.
You're a wizard, Harry
He was a Jedi.
These are Jedi Knights.
It's obviously late victorian Jedi after the harvest.
This is clearly not the KKK.
Klan masks cover the face.
why would the hood automatically mean racist lmao?
Everyone is posting possible answers to the meaning of the hoods. But I think one of the guys was like:
Is that really the kkk? The pics I've seen have different kinds of hoods.
These hoods don't even look white.
lol. You've been on the internet way too much (most likely reddit) if your first thought when seeing this picture is Ku Klux Klan.
Maybe your grandfather was a karma farmer like you are.
Back row, 3rd from left, whose hand is on his shoulder?
This looks more like an occult thing, like Alister Crowley would be involved with it
Omg. An american seeing every bright hood as an KKK reference is one of the most narcissistic and egocentric things ever.
Looks cold... Maybe they all had generic animal skin coats...
Summer camp?
I’m not a photo expert but this looks like an 1880-1890s, a still photo. Anything moving doesn’t show up or looks like a blur. Anything still shows up.
If they were in the KKK, that seems like the most half-assed unit that there ever was. They’re all wearing different clothes under the hood instead of the white robes. And none of them looks like they give a shit about being there (no enthusiasm).
Maybe they where druids?
Watch Robin Hood or any hoodie from old days. They simply are just shaped that way.
They’re Jedi
They were about to do a raid.
Jedi counsel
KKK did for hoods what Hitler did to mustaches.
They were attending a live action Dungeons and Dragons session
Might be oil workers from what's in the back ground plus the oil can in the hand of a worker
He was in assassin creed
they were jedi
The hoods worn by the K cubed organization cover the face. These hoods are not covering anyone's face.
They have the force within them...
This is actually the first group of Jedi to reconvene after the destruction of the second Death Star.
Wizards
I wouldn’t be worried about the kkk.
Jedi?
So did anyone else notice the creepy hand on the lady third from the top right?
Just a fashion statement
Not even close to a Klansman rob, you're good.
Disguised Jedi
I think the KKK hid their faces so maybe this is something different
Am I the only one seeing Vladmir Putin sitting on the first line?
Those clearly aren’t KKK hoods. Not even close
He was a Jedi.
He just might be a Sith Lord
Jedi
Assassins Creed vibes. Jk that’s the only other thing I could think of with white hoods
This is the kkk (lower case) not the KKK.
Maybe he was a wizard?
He’s a wizard, Hairy.
Wizards, obviously.
They're gnomes
Hobbits
The Sith order
Probably not KKK, but they did probably just sacrifice some babies in the woods.
Maybe he wanted a fashionable way to keep dry
Early days of the Keebler Elf’s
I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think your great grandfather was a Jedi.