The Dancers: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is an inkjet print depicting a black and white image of a man and a woman dancing in a close embrace on the street to a salsa band out of view. Captured during a street fair, flag streamers are tied between buildings and flying overhead. The man is holding the woman’s right hand up near his ear with his left hand; his right arm is wrapped around the woman’s waist and is holding the woman’s black purse to her backside. The woman is wearing a short sleeved, knee length colored dress with white edges on the sleeves and neckline. She has small earrings, possibly a belt, a black purse, and black heeled shoes. The man is wearing a dark colored suit with a matching hat, presumably a flat cap, black shoes, a black shirt, a black belt, a watch in his left wrist, and possible a bow tie. The man’s coat, his left foot, the woman’s dress, and her left foot are in motion.

On the recto are two handwritten inscriptions: [Dancers, Mott Haven] at bottom left and the signature of the photographer, David Gonzalez, at bottom right: [DG]. There are no inscriptions on the back.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: August 10, 1979; printed 2021
• Photograph by: David Gonzalez, American, born 1957
• Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women
• Subject of: Unidentified Man or Men
• Signed by: David Gonzalez, American, born 1957
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: ink on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 20 × 14 1/8 in. (50.8 × 35.9 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (sheet): 24 × 17 in. (61 × 43.2 cm)
• Place depicted: Mott Haven, New York City, Bronx County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: African diaspora
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Salsa (Music)
• Topic: Social life and customs
• Object number: 2021.30
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center
• 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: © David Gonzalez Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.