Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Autographed Photo: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Matted autographed black and white photograph of Bill Robinson, known as Mr. Bojangles. The photograph is signed with a personalized note that reads, “To Miss Margaret O’Brien – a lovely little lady – Hoping I’ll always be worthy of your friendship – Sincerely and Copesetically Bill Robinson.” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor active in the first half of the twentieth century. He was the best known and most highly paid African-American entertainer at the time. His career followed the changes in American entertainment and technology, starting in minstrel shows and working his way through vaudeville, Broadway, Hollywood, radio, and television. He is credited with introducing the phrase “everything’s copasetic” into popular culture through his repeated use of it. Margaret O’ Brien is an American actress in film, radio, television, and on stage who had a prolific career as a child actress and won a Juvenile Academy Award in 1944.

Materials, dates and provenance

• depicted (sitter): Robinson, Bill Bojangles
• referenced: O'Brien, Margaret
• Object Name: photograph
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Measurements: overall (when framed): 18 1/2 in x 16 19/32 in x 1 1/4 in; 46.99 cm x 42.164 cm x 3.175 cm
• Measurements: image: 9 in x 7 in; 22.86 cm x 17.78 cm
• Measurements: image: 9 in x 7 in; 22.86 cm x 17.78 cm
• Measurements: image:;
• Subject: Motion Pictures
• ID Number: 2009.0119.01
• accession number: 2009.0119
• catalog number: 2009.0119.01
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.