Photograph of Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins at a record console: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photograph of Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins. Hawkins is depicted standing behind a console with a turntable resting on the surface. He is looking down at a long-playing record he is holding with both hands. He is wearing high waisted, medium-toned trousers, a white collared shirt, and a polka dot bow tie. Hawkins has a small mustache and his hair is smoothed back. The acoustic wall panel behind Hawkins is white and has small perforations. The photograph has a thin white border and a portrait orientation. The back of the photograph is plain white with handwritten black text in the top right corner that reads [Photo BY FORREST Dito[s?]].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1948-1958
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Bill Hawkins, American, 1909 - 1975
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 7 × 5 1/8 in. (17.8 × 13 cm)
• Place captured: Cleveland, Cayuhoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Radio
• Object number: 2018.91.2.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of W. Allen Taylor, son of "Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins," The First Black Disc Jockey of Cleveland, Ohio
• 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: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.