Photograph of a theater marquee promoting Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1971
name: label: Photograph by
content: Melvin Van Peebles, American, 1932 - 2021
notes: label: Description
content: A color photograph captured by Melvin Van Peebles of a movie theater marquee promoting its showing of Van Peebles' film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The image depicts the front of the Loew's State Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Captured from across the street, the image depicts the theatre at street level, between Eastman Liquors and a shoe store, with only the proper right and center panels of the three-sided marquee visible. The art deco style marquee has "LOS ANGELES" as part of the design above the right panel of the marquee which has red text reading [SWEET SWEETBACK's / X BAADASSS SONG / 2ND HIT WAKE UP AND DIE]. The front panel of the marquee reads [COMING / SIMON / KING OF / WITCHES]. The street-level entrance has a red facade with posters and banners also promoting the film. Several people and cars are visible on the sidewalk and street in front of the theater. The image cuts off the full theater building, with only the "LES" visible of the vertical "Los Angeles" sign. On the verso is a handwritten inscription in black ink reading [L. A. Downtown].
place: label: Place depicted
content: Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Advertising
label: Topic
content: Blaxploitation films
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Independent films
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
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.82.9.4
objectType: label: Type
content: photographs
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
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (8.9 x 8.9 cm)