Count Us In: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A youth-oriented documentary short with the title "Count Us In." It consists of a single reel of 16mm black-and-white acetate film with optical sound (2012.79.1.7.1a). The film was produced by Union Films and includes footage of the 1948 Progressive Party convention in Philadelphia, as part of the presidential campaign for Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace. It also includes appearances by individuals such as Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger. The soundtrack is by Bob Claiborne (a Seeger-associated folk musician), who narrates, plays guitar, and sings over footage. The footage includes both outdoor and indoor activities during the July 1948 Progressive Party convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and many scenes of young people speaking, playing music, singing, and dancing. Henry Wallace appears onstage at the convention toward the end of the film. Other delegates and party officials identified in the film are George Jackson from Seton Hall, Alvin Jones from Louisiana, Seymour Linfield, Louis Burnham from Alabama, and Walter Wallace. An original metal canister (2012.79.1.7.1c) also accompanies the 16mm film. Text on it reads [ CHAMBA EDUCATIONAL FILM SERVICES / TO: / HORTENSE BEVERIDGE / COUNT US IN].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: July 1948
• Produced by: Carl Marzani, American, 1912 - 1994
• Produced by: Union Films, 1946 - 1953
• Subject of: Henry Wallace, American, 1888 - 1965
• Subject of: Pete Seeger, American, 1919 - 2014
• Subject of: Paul Robeson, American, 1898 - 1976
• Subject of: Progressive Party, American, 1948 - 1955
• Subject of: Bob Claiborne, American, 1919 - 1990
• Subject of: Dr. George Jackson, American, 1929 - 1995
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: short subjects
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film and metal
• Dimensions: Duration: 9 min.
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 350 ft
• Place depicted: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Documentary films
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Folk (Music)
• Topic: Mass media
• Topic: Political organizations
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: U.S. History, 1945-1953
• Object number: 2012.79.1.7.1ac
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.