Slow Fade to Black: Lena Horne: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Black and white inkjet print (a) of Lena Horne in a green frame (b).

The photograph (a) is intentionally out of focus. The figure of Lena Horne is standing in the center of the image facing the camera. Horne has one hand by her hip and the other behind her head. She is wearing a form-fitting black floor length dress with embellishment on the bodice. Her hair is loose falling to her shoulders. There is a stage light above Horne and unidentified objects are visible on either side of her. The original photograph shows Lena Horne in costume for "Two Girls and a Sailor" standing in a studio on a prop three-step staircase. Horne is standing on the second step and there are metalwork railings on either side of the prop stairs. There is second stage light on the back right side behind Horne. Horne is smiling widely with her head tilted upward. Horne's black evening dress has thin straps not visible in the blurred image. The bodice of the dress has black and tan detailing in the center with a line of embellishments spaced down the middle of the skirt.

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 and the manufacturer. 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: Lena Horne, American, 1917 - 2010
• 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: Entertainers
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Hollywood (Film)
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2017.20.3ab
• 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.