Ebony Vol. XXII No. 12: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An Ebony magazine, October 1967, featuring the cover article, “The Fifth Dimension: White Sound in a Black Group,” Vol. XXII No. 12. The front cover of the magazine features a color photograph of the band 5th Dimension. From left to right is Ronald Townson, Florence LaRue, Billy Davis Jr., Marilyn McCoo, and LaMonte McLemore. The band members are depicted clapping and dancing down a suburban street. The band members are all wearing red, white and blue clothing. The red and blue fabric on the costumes is accentuated with a white, windowpane plaid pattern. In the bottom right corner is the main coverline printed in black text that reads [THE FIFTH DIMENSION / White Sound in / a black group]. The top third of the cover is a blue field. ]. In the upper left corner is the publication mast head, a red banner with white block lettering that reads: [EBONY]. Above the mast head is black text that reads [A JOHNSON PUBLICATION 10[encircled]]. Addition bylines printed in white text in the blue field below and to the right of the mast head read, [EBONY FASHION FAIR PRESENTS / Fashion Rebellion ’67 in 70 Cities], [HOW TO STOP RIOTS / By Lerone Bennett Jr.], [BLACK LEADERS OF THE WEST INDIES / By Era Bell Thompson], and [ERNIE BANKS / New Life For An ‘Old Man’]. In the lower left corner, in black text, is the publication date and price: [OCTOBER 1967 / USA 50¢]. The bottom right of the front cover has a white address label sticker with black type. The back cover of the magazine features a full sized color advertisement for Winston Menthol cigarettes. There are one hundred and seventy (170) interior pages with color and black-and-white images, illustrations, and text.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: October 1967
• Published by: Johnson Publishing Company, American, 1942 - 2019
• Created by: Ebony, American, founded 1945
• Photograph by: Bill Gillohm
• Subject of: The 5th Dimension, American, founded 1966
• Subject of: Ronald Townson, American, 1933 - 2001
• Subject of: Florence LaRue, American, born 1944
• Subject of: Billy Davis Jr., American, born 1938
• Subject of: Marilyn McCoo, American, born 1943
• Type: magazines (periodicals)
• Medium: ink on paper (fiber product) with metal
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 13 3/8 × 10 1/4 × 1/4 in. (34 × 26 × 0.6 cm)
• Place collected: Kittery, York County, Maine, United States, North and Central America
• Place printed: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States
• Place depicted: West Indies, Caribbean, Latin America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Advertising
• Topic: Black Enterprise
• Topic: Black interiors
• Topic: Black Press
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Journalism
• Object number: 2011.12.53.6
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc.
• 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: © Ebony Media Group LLC Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.