Slow Fade to Black: Dorothy Jean Dandridge: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Black and white inkjet print (a) of Dorothy Jean Dandridge in a green frame (b).

The photograph (a) is intentionally out of focus. The figure of Dorothy Jean Dandridge is dressed as the title character from the 1954 film "Carmen Jones." Dandridge is standing with her feet shoulder width apart in the center of the image. She has her hands on her hips and is looking toward the camera. She is wearing a dark short sleeve top and a knee-length light colored skirt in front of a white background. In the original photograph, Dandridge can be seen smiling broadly and her bare feet are visible. She is wearring drop earrings, a large bracelet, and a thin anklet.

The photograph is inset in the frame (b). The back borders of the frame are raised and have paper tape around the edges. At the top is a sticker with the TransArt International shipping label. The center portion of the frame has two white adhesive labels, one with information about the artist, Carrie Mae Weems. The other has exhibit details and the address for the Jack Shainman Gallery. Below this tag is information about the frame with cleaning instructions checked in black ink. There is a corded metal wire screwed into the frame to hang the photograph.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2009-2010
• Photograph by: Carrie Mae Weems, American, born 1953
• Subject of: Dorothy Dandridge, American, 1922 - 1965
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: inkjet print (a): ink on photographic paper;
• Medium: frame (b): acrylic, wood, wire and metal
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 11 3/4 × 8 3/4 in. (29.8 × 22.2 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (Frame): 12 7/8 × 9 7/8 × 1 1/2 in. (32.7 × 25.1 × 3.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Art
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Hollywood (Film)
• Topic: Mass media
• Object number: 2017.20.11ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder in honor of Richard and Laura Parsons, Colin and Alma Powell, and Darren Walker
• 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: © Carrie Mae Weems Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.