Four Women: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A short experimental film with the title Four Women. It consists of a single reel of 16mm color acetate film with optical sound (2012.79.1.40.1a). A film canister (2012.79.1.40.1c) also accompanies the film strip.

The film features four dancers set to music by Nina Simone: Aunt Sarah (Linda Martina Young), Sweet Thing, Peaches and Saffronia. It begins with a completely black frame with the sound of chanting in the background before the title of the film appears. There is then a series of closeup shots of a dancer (L. Martina Young) underneath a large sheet of translucent fabric and large sheets of cloth as the dancer slowly moves. The sound changes to an unidentified indigenous group singing and chanting as the dancer continues to move under the fabric. As the dancer continues her interpretive moves, the sound again changes to that of a whip being used, the sound of running water, and the sound of moaning/wailing voices. In the following sequence, Nina Simone’s “Four Women” begins to play and the dancer’s costume changes to a long dress and shawl, which reflects the first character of the song, Aunt Sarah.

In the next series of shots, the dancer has changed to a black dress and black veil as Simone describes the next character, Saffronia, who is of mixed race and the product of her mother being raped by a white man. As Simone begins describing the next character, Sweet Thing, a prostitute with both black and white clients, there are close up shots of the body part being described. The dancer has changed to a loose floral print dress and her hair is no longer tied back or hidden by a veil. In the fourth and final sequence, the dancer is wearing cornrows and has changed to a brightly colored tube top and matching pants to represent Simone's character, Peaches, a black woman toughened by generations of oppression. Prior to the song’s and the film’s conclusion, there is a brief montage of all four women as portrayed by the dancer.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1975
• Directed by: Julie Dash, American, born 1952
• Produced by: Winfred Tennison
• Recorded by: Nina Simone, American, 1933 - 2003
• Subject of: Linda Martina Young, American
• Owned by: Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: short subjects
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film, metal and plastic
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 300 ft
• Dimensions: Duration: 8 min.
• Place filmed: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Identity
• Topic: Stereotypes
• Topic: Women
• Object number: 2012.79.1.40.1ac
• 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: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.