Orange tissue paper flower made by Herman Wallace while incarcerated
date: label: Date
content: after 1972
name: label: Created by
content: Herman Wallace, American, 1941 - 2013
label: Subject of
content: Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, American, founded 1835
notes: label: Caption
content: According to the artist Maria Hinds, who collaborated with Herman Wallace and the photographer Matthew Thompson on the project Surviving Solitary, Wallace loved flowers, particularly roses. He once shared a story about trying to grow flowers and plants in his cell which failed miserably due to the lack of natural light and soil. He did manage to get a potato to grow some roots in a cup of water. This rose was made by manipulating pieces of paper which were dyed or colored using whatever pens and markers he had access to and cut out using a (contraband) razor blade and nail clippers. Wallace gifted a number of similar paper flowers to supporters over the years, one of the many ways he continued to engage in social and political life despite his confinement.
label: Description
content: An orange handmade tissue paper rosebud flower made by Herman Wallace while incarcerated at Angola Prison. The small paper flower is delicately constructed with intricately layered petals and a wrapped tan and green stalk.
place: label: Place used
content: Angola, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Craftsmanship
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Men
label: Topic
content: Nature
label: Topic
content: Prisons
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Herman Wallace Archival Collection
label: Classification
content: Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maria Hinds
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: A2018.36.1.15.2
objectType: label: Type
content: paperwork
label: Type
content: flowers (plants)
label: Type
content: make-dos
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: paper (fiber product) and cloth
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 10 5/8 × 1 7/16 × 7/8 in. (27 × 3.7 × 2.3 cm)