Photograph of Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins with two unidentified women: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photograph of Disc Jockey Bill “Hawk” Hawkins with two unidentified women. Hawkins is depicted on the left, smiling and looking towards the woman on the far right. There is a microphone on a stand in front of him. At the top of the microphone is a rounded microphone flag with the radio station call sign, [WHK], visible. He is wearing a medium-toned suit, a white collared shirt, and a dark tie with white polka dots. He holds a small, rectangular piece of white paper in proper right hand, which is extended towards the women. The woman on the far right is wearing a light-toned, double breasted skirt suit, a white blouse, a dark bow tie around the collar, and a black half hat. She has a black handbag draped over her proper left wrist and she holds a piece of white paper in both hands. The woman at the center is wearing a medium-toned skirt suit over a light-toned blouse, with a white hat with flowers at the front of the crown. In the background are black folding chairs, a doorway, and a white wall. The photograph has a white border and a landscape orientation. The back of the photograph is white and plain.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1949-1958
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Bill Hawkins, American, 1909 - 1975
• Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women
• Subject of: WHK, American, founded 1922
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 5 × 7 in. (12.7 × 17.8 cm)
• Place captured: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Radio
• Object number: 2018.91.2.6
• 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.