Photograph of Ida James: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of Ida James. James is depicted from the chest up, against a gradient white background. James is posed with her back turned partially towards the viewer and looking back over her proper right shoulder. Her chin is tilted down and she is smiling. James is wearing a white sheer robe over a thin strapped garment. The shoulders of the robe is embellished with a swath of lace across the shoulders and ruffles decorating the edges of the lace. She has a ring of white flowers pinned to her proper right temple. Along the middle right edge of the image is a handwritten inscription in black ink that reads, ["Laura" / My very good friend / may we always be / just that - Stay / wonderful. / Ida / James.]. The photographer's mark, printed in the negative, in the bottom left corner reads, [Murray / Korman / N.Y.]. There are no inscriptions on the back of the photograph.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1945
• Photograph by: Murray Korman, American, 1902 - 1961
• Subject of: Ida James, American, 1920 - 1986
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 9 3/16 × 7 3/8 in. (23.3 × 18.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 9 15/16 × 8 1/16 in. (25.3 × 20.5 cm)
• Place made: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2013.46.25.187
• 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: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.