Photograph of Billy Ward and his Dominoes signing autographs
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1954
name: label: Photograph by
content: James A. Joyce, American
label: Subject of
content: Bill Hawkins, American, 1909 - 1975
label: Subject of
content: Billy Ward, American, 1921 - 2002
label: Subject of
content: Clyde McPhatter, American, 1932 - 1972
label: Subject of
content: Charlie White, American, died 2005
label: Subject of
content: Billy Brown, American, died 2005
label: Subject of
content: Joe Lamont, American, died 1998
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Man or Men
label: Subject of
content: Billy Ward & His Dominoes, American, 1950s-1960s
label: Subject of
content: Bill Hawkins’ Record Studio, American
notes: label: Description
content: A black-and-white photograph of Billy Ward and his Dominoes signing autographs inside Bill Hawkins’ Record Studio. The band members stand on the left behind the counter. Front left to right is Charlie White, Billy Ward, Clyde McPhatter, and unidentified man, Billy Brown, and Joe Lamont. White is depicted in profile, looking towards the crowd, holding a record in both hands. He is wearing a dark suit with wide pinstripes and a white collared shirt. Ward is depicted facing the viewer and smiling. He is wearing a dark-toned suit and a white collared shirt. He has a pen in his proper right hand and is handing a record to a boy in the crowd. McPhatter is depicted in profile, looking towards the crowd, holding a record out to a girl in the crowd He is wearing a dark-toned suit and is smiling at the crowd. The unidentified man is wearing a white shirt and has his back to the viewer. Brown is depicted facing the viewer, leaning on the counter with his proper left elbow. He is wearing a medium-toned suit jacket, light-toned trousers and a white collared shirt. He is looking towards the crowd with a serious expression on his face. Lamont is depicted smiling and looking down towards the crowd. He is wearing a medium-toned jacket and a white collared shirt. Several of the band members have long-playing records in sleeves that they appear to be autographing. Standing at the end of the counter between LaMont and a white door, is Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins. He is pointing and speaking to the unidentified man in the white shirt. Crowded on the other side of the long, curving countertop is a group of men, women, and children. Some of the children at the front are reaching for the records in the band members hands. On top of the countertop are small piles of sleeves with record albums. Some of the men on the left side of the countertop hold sleeve covered record albums in their hands. One boy wearing a flat cap, glasses, and a short sleeve shirt, stands at the center of the image, on the right side of the counter, with his proper left hand raised. On the far left are wooden cubbies filled with record albums with white paper tags. On top of the cubbies are stacks of records in sleeves, a box that reads [Nite-tel-lite], a film reel, two stacked ashtrays, and several headshots leaning against the wall. In the background is a two-tone wall with a white door at the center and posters taped to the wall. In the corner on the left is a free-standing sign with the text [Religious Music] at the top with sleeve covered record albums taped to the poster board below and on the right is another sign the reads [GENERAL ELECTRIC] with the General Electric logo between the words. In the front left foreground is a record carousel. It has white LP sleeves fanned out in a circle around the center column with vinyl records filling each sleeve. The photograph has a white border and a landscape orientation. The back of the photograph is white with a black ink stamp at the center that reads [PHOTO BY / JIMMY JOYCE / 2222 EAST 29TH ST. / CLEVELAND 6, OHIO] with a pencil inscription below that reads [3[encircled]].
place: label: Place captured
content: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
label: Place printed
content: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Radio
label: Topic
content: Rhythm and blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of W. Allen Taylor, son of "Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins," The First Black Disc Jockey of Cleveland, Ohio
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.91.2.17
objectType: label: Type
content: gelatin silver prints
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown – Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Sheet): 8 3/16 × 10 in. (20.8 × 25.4 cm)