Film poster for Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: Museum Object and Cultural History
Film poster for Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: Date: ca. 1971. Created by: Melvin Van Peebles, American, 1932 - 2021. Subject of: Earth, Wind & Fire, American, founded 1969.
The object in the museum catalogue
An original, collaged poster design for the film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" consisting of various printed elements that have been cut out and arranged together. The poster features a color photograph of Melvin Van Peebles as the title character. Above the photograph, in large black text is the title [SWEET SWEETBACK'S / BAADASSSSS SONG]. Beneath the portrait of Van Peebles are black and white images of other characters and scenes from the film arranged together, with the top edge cut out and overlaid to slightly overlap the photograph above. Arranged in a row beneath the collage of images are three photocopied film stills, with thick back rectangular borders . Along the bottom is a black rectangle with three text elements inside. At left is another rectangular with [Music by / EARTH, WIND AND FIRE]. At center are three lines of printed text, cut out and adhered to a backing with an irregular border. The text reads [YOU BLED MY MOMMA / YOU BLED MY POPPA / BUT YOU WONT BLEED ME]. At right is another black rectangle with the text [RATED / 'X' / BY AN / ALL-WHITE JURY].
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: ca. 1971
- Created by: Melvin Van Peebles, American, 1932 - 2021
- Subject of: Earth, Wind & Fire, American, founded 1969
- Type: posters
- Medium: paper (fiber product)
- Dimensions: 40 3/4 x 26 1/2 x 1 1/4 in. (103.5 x 67.3 x 3.2 cm)
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Blaxploitation films
- Topic: Film
- Topic: Independent films
- Topic: Music
- Topic: Photography
- Object number: 2012.82.5
- 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: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
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