Slow Fade to Black: Pearl Mae Bailey: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Color inkjet print (a) of Pearl Mae Bailey in a green frame (b).

The photograph (a) is intentionally out of focus. The figure of Pearl Mae Bailey is in the center of the photograph with her head tilted and looking off camera to the left. Bailey is wearing a strapless yellow outfit with a sweetheart neckline. She has a short necklace and there is illegible text over the middle of the image. Bailey is in front of a green background. The original image was used as her album cover art for "More Songs for Adults Only" and shows the matching drop earrings and pearl necklace that Bailey is wearing.

The photograph is inset in the frame (b). The back borders of the frame are raised and have paper tape around the edges. At the top is a sticker with the TransArt International shipping label. The center portion of the frame has two white adhesive labels, one with information about the artist, Carrie Mae Weems. The other has exhibit details and the address for the Jack Shainman Gallery. Below this tag is information about the frame with cleaning instructions highlighted in red marker. There is a corded metal wire screwed into the frame to hang the photograph.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2009-2010
• Photograph by: Carrie Mae Weems, American, born 1953
• Subject of: Pearl Bailey, American, 1918 - 1990
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: inkjet print (a): ink on photographic paper;
• Medium: frame (b): acrylic, wood, wire and metal
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 11 3/4 × 8 3/4 in. (29.8 × 22.2 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (Frame): 12 7/8 × 9 7/8 × 1 1/2 in. (32.7 × 25.1 × 3.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Art
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: 2017.20.7ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder in honor of Richard and Laura Parsons, Colin and Alma Powell, and Darren Walker
• 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: © Carrie Mae Weems Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.