The Black Elks fraternity was formed in 1897 as a response to the white fraternal organization called the “Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks" (BPOE), which at the time did not allow Black members. The Black Elks were officially known as the “Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World.” In the early 21st century, the organization has 500,000 members and 1500 lodges around the world.

In the 1940s, the Seattle Black Elks Club on Jackson Street had a taxidermied elk which was a popular backdrop for photographs. Here, Seattle photographer Al Smith photographs a man in a suit and hat with his arm slung over the back of the stuffed elk at the Black Elks Club.