The US Military, Cadet, Kesha Brown: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photograph of U.S. Military Cadet Kesha Brown, by Platon. Brown is depicted from the thighs up, standing, and facing the viewer with a serious expression on her face. Her proper right arm is resting at her side and her proper left arm is holding her marching band hat against her other side. She is wearing a fitted, medium tone, military parade jacket with seven horizontal lines of braid across the chest that terminate in a clover-shaped design and are accented. The braid and cuffs are accented with dome-shaped, metal buttons. On her proper right bicep is a patch with three chevrons. Pinned to her proper left shoulder is a medal with an eagle device. Tucked into the crook of her proper left arm is a shako-style, marching band hat with a large black feathered plume, a black patent leather visor, chain visor trim, and a West Point crest shield emblem. She is also wearing white pants, white gloves, and has a sword and scabbard attached to her proper left hip. The background of the photograph is bright white. The photograph has a thick white border. The edition number, [5/12], is printed in the bottom left corner. The photographer’s signature and date, [Platon 19], is handwritten in the bottom right corner. Inside the border, at the bottom center, is the photographer’s embossed mark: [PLATON ? / EDITIONED ? / PRINT ?[encircled between two bands of embossed dots]]. The back of the photograph is plain and white.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2008; printed 2019
• Photograph by: Platon, British, born 1968
• Subject of: Kesha Brown, American
• Subject of: United States Military Academy, American, founded 1802
• Subject of: United States Army, American, founded 1775
• Type: pigment prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: pigment on paper
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 21 5/16 × 20 in. (54.1 × 50.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (sheet): 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
• Place printed: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: West Point, Orange County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Band (Music)
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Military
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Object number: 2021.33.67
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Platon
• 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: © Platon Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.