RR Chanel, Icon, Founder of the House of Chanel: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A color photographic print portrait of R.R. Chanel, founder of the House of Chanel. Chanel is pictured standing in front of a dark grey background. He wears a black tuxedo with jacket in a silver and black pattern. His white shirt and black bowtie are bedecked with rhinestones. A diamond studded pin of the interlocking "C" Chanel logo is on his proper left lapel and strands of black beads and chains are draped across the front of his waistcoat. He looks directly at the camera with both hands tucked in his pockets.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2010s
• Photograph by: Gerard H. Gaskin, Trinidadian American, born 1965
• Subject of: RR Chanel, American
• Printed by: Light Work, American, founded 1973
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: ink on Canson Baryta photographique paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet) : 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet) : 19 × 12 11/16 in. (48.3 × 32.2 cm)
• Place captured: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Gender
• Topic: Identity
• Topic: LGBTQ
• Topic: Music
• Object number: 2019.71.12
• 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: © Gerard Gaskin Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.