Photographic print of Millie Small, Vincent Chin, and an unidentified woman: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

2015.132.4.1-.2: Two identical black-and-white inkjet photographs of Millie Small during a visit with Vincent "Randy" Chin at Randy's Records, in 1964, when her song "My Boy Lollipop" was a hit. The image depicts three individuals: Millie Small, Vincent Chin and an unidentified woman. Small is seated behind the record store counter on the right of the photograph, looking to the left at a copy of a record album, My Boy Lollipop by Millie Small, held by an unidentified woman wearing a white shirt. Vincent Chin stands between the two women with an arm over each of their shoulders. He is looking directly at the camera and is wearing a dark plaid shirt and dark pants. On the wall behind him are two shelves with dividers that hold records. Above the shelves is a black wire rack, a rack of sunglasses, and a box-shaped object that has the text [ROLA / LOUDSPEAKER] printed on the side. There are no inscriptions on the front of the images. On the back are inscriptions written by Bill Adler with the subject, and date.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1964; printed later
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Vincent G. Chin, Jamaican, 1937 - 2003
• Subject of: Millie Small, Jamaican, born 1946
• Subject of: Randy's Record Mart, Jamaican, 1958 - 1979
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.4.1 Sheet): 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.4.1 Image): 7 9/16 × 9 9/16 in. (19.2 × 24.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.4.2 Sheet): 7 15/16 × 9 15/16 in. (20.2 × 25.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (2015.132.4.2 Image): 7 9/16 × 9 9/16 in. (19.2 × 24.3 cm)
• Place captured: Kingston, Surrey, Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Popular music
• Topic: Reggae (Music)
• Object number: 2015.132.4.1-.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: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.