Diorama of Fisk University Jubilee Singers: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Diorama depicting the Fisk University Jubilee Singers, based on a painting by Edmund Havel, 1873. Made of wood and paper applied to plexiglass box with electrical low-voltage lights affixed to the side panels. Seven female figures and four male figures made of porcelain with cotton or synthetic lower torso. The diorama includes a grand piano and bench, two chairs, and a settee, all in miniature, made from painted wood and fabric. The women's clothing is made from silk taffeta and the men's clothing from wool. Made by Diedra Bell, Washington, D.C., assisted by Stephney Keyser, Falls Church, Virginia, 1994-1998.

From the nation’s beginning, Americans have grappled with who gets educated and who pays for education. Both public and private schools have relied on a combination of public and private funding. Disparities in wealth and political influence have affected Americans’ ability to support schools. As a result, educational philanthropy has reflected inequalities in the American economy and society. Giving through contributions of time and money have both created opportunities for students and increased inequalities among them.

Barred from schools for white children due to racist practices, African Americans in the late 1800s established and supported a wide variety of educational institutions of their own. In the 1870s the Fisk University Jubilee Singers began touring the United States and Europe to raise money for the African American school. Familiarizing white audiences with black spirituals, the group also advocated for African American rights and independence.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1994 - 1998
• depicted: Fisk University Jubilee Singers
• maker: Keyser, Stephney J.
• visual artist: Havel, Edmund
• maker: Keyser, Stephney J.
• Object Name: Diorama
• Physical Description: wood; plexiglass (case material)
• Physical Description: porcelain; wool; silk (figures material)
• Measurements: overall: 26 cm x 49 cm x 32 cm; 10 1/4 in x 19 5/16 in x 12 5/8 in
• place made: United States: Virginia, Falls Church
• Subject: Music
• Subject: Education
• Subject: African American History
• ID Number: 1999.0174.01
• accession number: 1999.0174
• catalog number: 1999.0174.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Diedra J. Bell and Dr. Stephney J. Keyser
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.