Photograph of Billie Holiday: Museum Object and Cultural History
Photograph of Billie Holiday: Date: 1954. Photograph by: Leigh Wiener, American, 1929 - 1993. Subject of: Billie Holiday, American, 1915 - 1959.
The object in the museum catalogue
A black and white photograph of Billie Holliday. She is wearing drop earrings and a necklace. She is in profile, facing towards her left with a cigarette pressed between her lips as she leans forward so it can be lit. On the left side of the photo, there is a pair of man's hands holding a book of matches prepared to light the cigarette. Part of the background appears to be painted in with dark paint. On the back of the photo are inscriptions providing the photographer, subject, location and date as well as a stamp for The Witkin Gallery.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: 1954
- Photograph by: Leigh Wiener, American, 1929 - 1993
- Subject of: Billie Holiday, American, 1915 - 1959
- Type: gelatin silver prints
- Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
- Dimensions: H x W: 7 5/16 × 9 7/16 in. (18.5 × 24 cm)
- Place captured: Berlin, Germany, Europe
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Entertainers
- Topic: Jazz (Music)
- Topic: Singers (Musicians)
- Object number: 2013.118.201.2
- 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: © 7410 Inc, The Estate of Leigh Wiener Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
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