Photograph of Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue, "Whatta Man" video shoot, NYC: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Two color photographic prints of Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue during the "Whatta Man" video shoot, NYC, 1993. In the image, the seven women pose standing together for the camera, left to right: Maxine Jones (En Vogue) wearing an open plaid shirt and black shorts; Pepa (Sandra Denton) in a leather vest and black shorts; Terry Ellis (En Vogue) in a black lace shirt and suede miniskirt; Spinderella (Deidra Roper) in a denim jacket over a black bra and shorts; Dawn Robinson (En Vogue), who is standing behind the other woman and partially obscured; Salt (Cheryl James) in a patchwork crop top and denim shorts with a belly chain; Cindy Herron (En Vogue) in black overalls over a striped shirt with a bucket hat. In the background is a pool hall lit in shades of amber and with a black and white checkerboard tile floor. 2015.132.117.1 is printed in brighter tones, with wider borders and has an inscription on the verso by Bill Adler reading [Salt n' Pepa + En Vogue, NYC '93. By Michael Benabib]. The verso also has a repeating Epson Photo Paper mark. 2015.132.117.2 has been printed with the image occupying most of the sheet and printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper, with repeating Fujifilm marks on the verso.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1993
• Photograph by: Michael Benabib, American, born 1962
• Subject of: En Vogue, American, founded 1989
• Subject of: Salt-N-Pepa, American, founded 1985
• Subject of: Maxine Jones, American, born 1962
• Subject of: Pepa, Jamaican American, born 1969
• Subject of: Terry Lynn Ellis, American, born 1963
• Subject of: Spinderella, American, born 1970
• Subject of: Dawn Sherrese Robinson, American, born 1965
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.117.1 Sheet): 11 × 17 in. (27.9 × 43.2 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.117.1 Image): 9 1/4 × 13 1/8 in. (23.5 × 33.4 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.117.2 Sheet): 10 15/16 × 14 in. (27.8 × 35.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.117.2 Image): 10 7/16 × 13 7/16 in. (26.5 × 34.2 cm)
• Place captured: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Popular music
• Topic: Rhythm and blues (Music)
• Object number: 2015.132.117.1-.2
• 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: © Michael Benabib Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.