Sarah Vaughan: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black and white gelatin photograph portrait of Sarah Vaughan, 1955. Silhouetted in darkness with her face and neck highlighted, Vaughan is captured with her face upturned, eyes closed and mouth open. She wears long ornate earrings. This portrait was used for her After Hours album cover, recorded with Columbia Records. On verso is written [Sarah Vaughn 1955] and the artist’s mark: [HUGH BELL PHOTOGRAPHY] is stamped in black ink.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1955
• Photograph by: Hugh Cecil Lancelot Bell, American, 1927 - 2012
• Subject of: Sarah Vaughan, American, 1924 - 1990
• Subject of: Columbia Records, American, founded 1888
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Medium: silver and gelatin on paper (fiber product)
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 9 3/16 × 6 7/16 in. (23.3 × 16.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (sheet): 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 in. (25.3 × 20.2 cm)
• Place captured: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Bebop (Music)
• Topic: Blues (Music)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Rhythm and blues (Music)
• Object number: 2019.85.5
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, generously supported by the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation
• 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: © The Estate of High Bell Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.