Photograph of a theater marquee promoting Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: Museum Object and Cultural History
Photograph of a theater marquee promoting Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: Date: ca. 1971. Photograph by: Melvin Van Peebles, American, 1932 - 2021. Type: photographs.
The object in the museum catalogue
A color photograph captured by Melvin Van Peebles of a movie theater marquee promoting its showing of Van Peebles' film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The image depicts the front of the Loew's State Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Captured from across the street, the image depicts the theatre at street level, between Eastman Liquors and a shoe store, with only the proper right and center panels of the three-sided marquee visible. The art deco style marquee has "LOS ANGELES" as part of the design above the right panel of the marquee which has red text reading [SWEET SWEETBACK's / X BAADASSS SONG / 2ND HIT WAKE UP AND DIE]. The front panel of the marquee reads [COMING / SIMON / KING OF / WITCHES]. The street-level entrance has a red facade with posters and banners also promoting the film. Several people and cars are visible on the sidewalk and street in front of the theater. The image cuts off the full theater building, with only the "LES" visible of the vertical "Los Angeles" sign. On the verso is a handwritten inscription in black ink reading [L. A. Downtown].
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: ca. 1971
- Photograph by: Melvin Van Peebles, American, 1932 - 2021
- Type: photographs
- Medium: dye and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
- Dimensions: H x W: 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (8.9 x 8.9 cm)
- Place depicted: Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Advertising
- Topic: Blaxploitation films
- Topic: Film
- Topic: Independent films
- Topic: Photography
- Object number: 2012.82.9.4
- Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- 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.
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