Photograph of Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins shaking hands with a man: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photograph of Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins shaking hands with an unidentified man. Hawkins, left, and the unidentified man, right, are depicted in profile facing each other, standing in front of a DJ stand. Hawkins is looking down towards a long-playing record in his proper left hand. The record’s center label reads [JAY-DEE] across the top. Hawkins is wearing a medium-toned suit, a white collared shirt, and a dark patterned tie. The man on the right is wearing a dark-toned suit, a white collared shirt, and a white pocket square. Behind the two men is a DJ console with various dials, a portable amplifier, and a silver tone microphone. Stenciled on the front of the console is black text that reads [WDO[K?]. In the background is a light-colored curtain. The photograph has a white frame and a portrait orientation. The back of this photograph is white and plain. A black photographer’s stamp at the center reads [SCHAEFFER PHOTO /10628 FRANK AVE. · S.W. 1-0046].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1950-1958
• Photograph by: Schaeffer Photo, American
• Subject of: Bill Hawkins, American, 1909 - 1975
• Subject of: Unidentified Man or Men
• Subject of: WDOK 1260, American, 1950 - 2015
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 10 × 8 1/8 in. (25.4 × 20.6 cm)
• Place captured: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
• Place printed: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Radio
• Object number: 2018.91.2.25
• 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.