Film poster for Boyz n the Hood: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Promotional poster for the film Boys N the Hood. The poster features Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Ice Cube. They are around the rear of a convertible. Morris Chestnut is on the far left of the image and is seated within the backseat of the car. In the center of the poster wearing a yellow and black button-up shirt is Cuba Gooding, Jr. He stands with his arms resting behind him on the trunk of the car. To his left is Ice Cube, who is standing with his right leg propped up on the trunk. His arms rest on his right knee. Above the figures in the upper left corner is white text that reads “Once upon a time / in South Central L.A.” Written in red at center right is “BOYZ N THE / HOOD.” Below the title is additional white text that reads “It ain't no fairy tale.” Along the lower fourth of the poster, above the billing block is a narrow blue stripe with white text listing the actors in the film.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1991
• Commissioned by: Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., founded 1919
• Subject of: Ice Cube, American, born 1969
• Subject of: Cuba Gooding Jr., American
• Subject of: Morris Chestnut, American
• Subject of: John Singleton, American, 1968 - 2019
• Type: posters
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 39 15/16 × 27 in. (101.4 × 68.6 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Advertising
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Hollywood (Film)
• Object number: 2014.35.29
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Personal Collection of Bill Ivory Larson
• 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: © 1991 Columbia Pictures Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.