Sounder: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A hardcover copy of the novel “Sounder” owned by Lonne Elder, III. The novel is grey with a black spine. Text on the spine is silver and reads “ARMSTRONG,” “SOUNDER,” and “HARPER & ROW.” The front endpaper has a graphite and ink inscription that reads “Robt. Radnitz. Mattel / WRITER-SCREEN / ADAPTOR / LONNE ELDER, III / OFF. 763-8411 EXT 1325-6 / HOME 464-1861 / IF LOST PLEASE RETURN / TO LONNE ELDER, III / BOB RADNITZ PRODUCTIONS / CBS-STUDIO CENTER / STUDIO CITY, CALIF.” The book has 118 pages with several black and white illustrations. The book has handwritten notes and annotations in graphite throughout the novel. Eighteen (18) paperclips hold portions of the text block together.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1969
• Written by: William H. Armstrong, American, 1911 - 1999
• Illustrated by: James Barkley, American
• Published by: Harper & Row, American, 1962 - 1990
• Owned by: Lonne Elder III, American, 1927 - 1996
• Subject of: CBS Broadcasting, Inc., American, founded 1927
• Subject of: Radnitz/Mattel Productions, founded 1970
• Type: hardcover books
• Medium: ink on paper, metal, graphite
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 8 1/2 × 5 3/4 × 3/4 in. (21.6 × 14.6 × 1.9 cm)
• Place used: Studio City, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Hollywood (Film)
• Topic: Literature
• Object number: 2019.82.5
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Lonne Elder III Estate
• 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: © William H. Armstrong Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.