The Life Story of Madame Bethune: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The 45rpm 7” record features parts one and two of the song “The Life Story of Madame Bethune” as performed by Otis Jackson and backed by the Dixie Hummingbirds. The record has a black paper label with silver lettering. The label has the Peacock Records logo along the top of the label and the artist and song title listed along the bottom of the label. Wrapped around the edge of the lower half of the label is the Peacock Records address. A horizontal band across the center has text indicating that the record is to be played at 45 rpm and lists the publishing company. The record was originally housed in a white paper sleeve with a musical score design circumambulating the center hole. A Philadelphia phone number is listed on the recto LR corner in blue ink.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1955
• Recorded by: Otis Jackson, American
• Published by: Peacock Records, Inc., American, founded 1949
• Subject of: Ira Tucker Sr., American, 1925 - 2008
• Subject of: Dixie Hummingbirds, American, founded 1928
• Type: long-playing records
• Medium: plastic (possibly polyvinyl chloride);
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: Diameter (vinyl record): 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
• Dimensions: L x W (paper sleeve): 7 x 7 in. (17.8 x 17.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Gospel (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2013.13.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from Ira Tucker, Jr. of the Dixie Hummingbirds
• 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: © MCA Records (originally Peacock Records) Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.