Photograph of two men and eleven women posing in stage costumes
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1925
name: label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Man or Men
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Woman or Women
notes: label: Description
content: A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of two (2) men and eleven (11) women posing in stage costumes. Ten (10) of the women are standing in a line across the stage. All but one of the women are depicted wearing identical, sequined bikini-style tops with a swath of sequined fabric running down their midsections, and fingerless gloves. The bikini bottoms are overlaid with sheer fabric with tasseled fringed ends, knotted at the belly button. Each woman is wearing large, hooped earrings and a turban with some of their hair peeking out. The five (5) women on the left have both of their arms pointed toward the left edge of the image. And the five (5) women on the right have both of their arms pointed toward the right edge of the image. One (1) woman is centrally depicted, kneeling on a pillow in front of the line of women and a large seated Buddha, with her arms crossed over her chest. On either side of her kneels a man depicted in profile with his hands held out to her, palms up. The man on the left is wearing harem pants and a matching, loose fitted shirt with a beaded collar and cuffs. He is also wearing a turban with a large gemstone on the proper right side. The man on the right is depicted in blackface with white lips. He is also wearing harem pants, a kurta wrapped around the waist with a knotted length of fabric, and a turban. There is an inscription in pencil on the back.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Blackface
label: Topic
content: Dance
label: Topic
content: Music
label: Topic
content: Nightlife
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
label: Topic
content: Theatre
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection
label: Classification
content: Racist and Stereotypical Objects
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: 2013.46.25.1
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 (Image and sheet): 10 11/16 × 13 7/16 in. (27.1 × 34.1 cm)