Photograph of Etta Moten Barnett seated surrounded by African drums: Museum Object and Cultural History
Photograph of Etta Moten Barnett seated surrounded by African drums: Date: ca. 1960. Photograph by: Isaac Sutton, 1923 - 1995. Subject of: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004.
The object in the museum catalogue
This is a black and white photograph of Etta Moten Barnett seated surrounded by six African drums. Wearing a long sleeved white blouse with a brooch at the neckline and a grey straight skirt, she is seated on a stool with traditional African drums of varying sizes and shapes arranged on the floor in a circle around her. She holds the palm of her left hand just above the surface of a tall narrow drum at her left side. The edges of the drum appear to be constructed of rope or reeds, tied together in the middle. On her lap is a small drum with a wide top and a narrow base. She gazes directly at the viewer. Behind her are low shelves with woven baskets, pottery, and small African statuary in materials that appear to be wood and ivory. The photographer’s stamp is on the back.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: ca. 1960
- Photograph by: Isaac Sutton, 1923 - 1995
- Subject of: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
- Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
- Type: gelatin silver prints
- Type: portraits
- Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
- Dimensions: H x W: 10 7/16 × 10 11/16 in. (26.5 × 27.2 cm)
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Activism
- Topic: Actors
- Topic: Africa
- Topic: Education
- Topic: Singers (Musicians)
- Topic: Women
- Object number: A2022.13.1.35.5
- Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- 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: © Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Sources
More in Music
Keep reading
