Print of Cab Calloway dancing at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black and white photograph of Cab Calloway performing with his band at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Calloway is pictured just left of center, in profile turned towards his proper right, his right hand raised and blurred as if in motion. His left hand holds a microphone stand, tilted so the microphone is near his turned face. He wears a plaid tuxedo jacket with white shirt, dark pants and bow tie, and white pocket square. Directly behind Calloway is an upright bass, the face of the player only partially visible behind Calloway's shoulder. Another man stands behind the bass. To the right of him is a drummer, Panama Francis, seated at a white drumkit with "CC" on the large bass drum at the front. The two visible musicians both wear dark colored suit jackets, patterned neck ties, and white pocket squares. To the left is a grand piano, the bench and player out of frame. Behind Calloway's band is an orchestra seated at paneled stands with a logo marking resembling "JM" or "NM." In the background is a striped curtain. There are no inscriptions or markings, front or back.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1950s
• Photograph by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Subject of: David "Panama" Francis, American, 1918 - 2001
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 4 3/8 × 6 1/2 in. (11.1 × 16.5 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 5 1/16 × 7 1/8 in. (12.9 × 18.1 cm)
• Place captured: Havana, Cuba, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Composers (Musicians)
• Topic: Conductors (Musicians)
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2013.237.7
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.