Marriage certificate with tintypes of Augustus L. Johnson and Malinda Murphy
date: label: Date
content: July 9, 1874
name: label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Printed by
content: Louis Prang, Prussian, 1824 - 1909
label: Signed by
content: Abraham Cole
label: Subject of
content: Augustus L. Johnson, American, born ca. 1846
label: Subject of
content: Malinda Murphy, American, born ca. 1846
notes: label: Description
content: This marriage certificate includes tintype portraits of the betrothed, Augustus Johnson and Malinda Murphy. The couple were married on July 9, 1874. The certificate, printed by Louis Prang, has an ornamental design that includes decorative lettering and framing. An illustrated man and a woman sit on the proper right and left sides of the certificate, respectively, and each of them holds a wreath and torch.The proper right side of the certificate contains the tintype of Augustus Johnson and the proper left side contains that of Malinda Murphy. Johnson’s portrait shows him looking off to the side in 2/3 profile view. He has a beard, and he is dressed in a white shirt and dark coat. Murphy’s portrait shows her facing the camera but looking off to the proper left. She wears a dark dress with a white, ruffled collar and a white bow. Her hair is a in a braided coif and she wears dangling earrings and a tasseled necklace. Pre-printed and handwritten ink text on the certificate reads: “Marriage Certificate / Mr. Augustus Johnson and Miss Malinda Murphy / Were this ninth 9th day of July 1874 legally joined by me in / MATRIMONY / In presence of Charles Bannister [and] Joanna Murphy to which I hereby / Certify Abraham Cole.”
label: Description
content: The tintypes are secured to the reverse of the paper with masking tape and scotch tape. Adhesive residue is evident around the photographs indicating an older, failed attachment method. Illegible text is written in pencil oriented vertically at the top left, left center edge, and left side below the tintype. Additional pencil in the lower right written vertically reads "9 X 11 1/4". Handwritten ink text in the lower right reads "Dec. 17th 1874 / Sir / Snowing / Winds blowing / Augustus Johnson / Spencerport, NY / Monroe Co".
place: label: Place used
content: Monroe County, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Marriage customs and rites
label: Topic
content: Photography
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Louis Moran and Douglas Van Dine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2016.58
objectType: label: Type
content: tintypes
label: Type
content: portraits
label: Type
content: marriage certificates
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper, collodion and silver on iron with lacquer
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 11 1/4 × 9 1/4 in. (28.6 × 23.5 cm)