Photograph of Pamela Bridgewater and Nelson Mandela
date: label: Date
content: 1990
name: label: Photograph by
content: Peter M. Morey, South African
label: Subject of
content: Nelson Mandela, South African, 1918 - 2013
label: Subject of
content: Pamela E. Bridgewater, American, born 1947
label: Subject of
content: William Lacy Swing, American, 1934 - 2021
label: Subject of
content: United States Department of State, American, founded 1789
label: Owned by
content: Pamela E. Bridgewater, American, born 1947
notes: label: Caption
content: Bridgewater also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. As such, she had the distinction of being the longest-serving U. S. diplomat in South Africa, posted in Pretoria (1990 – 1993) and Durban (1993 – 1996) during the country’s transition from apartheid to a non-racial government. She was the first African American woman to serve as Consul General in Durban. Further, at the height of the last Liberian civil war, she was named Special Coordinator for Peace and led the U. S. delegation to peace talks.
label: Description
content: A framed photograph of then Political Officer with the State Department Pamela E. Bridgewater shaking hands with then Deputy President of the African National Congress Nelson Mandela. Captured from the waist up, both Bridgewater and Mandela appear in profile, looking at each other while grasping each other’s right hands. Bridgewater wears a turquoise suit jacket and Mandela is in a grey suit jacket and tie. Behind the pair are two men in dark suits and red ties and a woman is partially visible behind Bridgewater. The man on the left is the United States Ambassador to South Africa at the time, William Lacy Swing. The photograph was taken in an interior room with high windows and white walls, with a map mounted on the wall in the background.
label: Description
content: On the verso is a very faded inscription of “best wishes” signed to Bridgewater from Mandela along with a typed adhesive label for the photographer, Peter M. Morey of the Pretoria News. The photograph has a white and grey mat and gold wood frame.
place: label: Place collected
content: Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Activism
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Civil Rights
label: Topic
content: Freedom
label: Topic
content: Government
label: Topic
content: International affairs
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Politics
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Women
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 Pamela E. Bridgewater, United States Ambassador (Retired)
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2023.51.3ab
objectType: label: Type
content: chromogenic color prints
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: dye and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with wood and glass
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (a): 9 1/16 × 12 in. (23 × 30.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (b): 12 3/16 × 16 1/4 × 1 in. (31 × 41.3 × 2.5 cm)