Maurice Sorrell Home Movie #7: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Consists of: 8mm Film (a), Original film reel (b), Original film canister (c).

2016.95.10.1a: 8mm film. This home movie begins with St. Louis street signs from inside a moving car. Shots of cars driving down the street follow. The next few shots are of a few men walking down the stairs of a home and/or building in their shriners’ outfits; which includes read hats labeled “Mecca”. A woman in a dress walks down the stairs as well. The shots that follow appear to be of a small parade. Men dressed in different types of shriners’ outfits march, while some ride horses. Three women with sashes ride on the back of a convertible. The camera cuts to a a series of wide shots from a moving train. There’s a shot of a boat labeled “Atlantic City Beach Patrol” followed by women walking down the boardwalk and sitting on the beach fanning themselves. This is followed by multiple shots of people swimming, walking down the beach, and socializing under beach umbrellas.

2016.95.10.1c: Original film can. This film canister has a yellow, masking tape label on the front. Handwritten marker on label reads: “Mecca Temple w St. Louis - 1948”. This film canister also has handwriting on the top of the can. Handwritten marker reads: “St. Louis MO Mecca Temple, Cooper at Atlantic City”. Inside, there is a pink, handwritten note. Handwritten pen reads: “[1] Mecca Temple St. Louis, [2] Atlantic CityMrs. Queen [illegible], Be a + Maurice”.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1967
• Created by: Maurice Sorrell, American, 1914 - 1998
• Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)
• Type: 8mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: 8mm Film (a): acetate film;
• Medium: Reel (b): plastic;
• Medium: Film Can (c): metal
• Dimensions: Duration: 12.5 Minutes
• Dimensions: Film Length: 150 Feet
• Place filmed: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Amusements
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Families
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Men
• Topic: Recreation
• Topic: Societies
• Object number: 2016.95.10.1abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Bonita F. Bing & The Late Blanche Beatrice Sorrell
• 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.