Wash Board Player: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photograph by Kenneth Royster of a washboard player. The unidentified man is seated in profile, facing to the right. He is wearing a black suit with a striped shirt and polka dot tie. He is holding a washboard between his legs. The ribbed metal center is dented and there are chips and wear on the wood frame. The top of the washboard has printed text from the manufacturer which reads [STANDARD FAMILY SIZE / GALVANIZED / No. 2090 / MADE IN U.S.A. / MANUFACTUR[-] / COLUMBUS WASHBOARD CO. / COLUMBUS, OHIO]. Behind the man a wall with a window curtain and a door are partially visible. The edge of the negative is partially visible around the image. There is a numerical inscription on the reverse.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1995
• Photograph by: Kenneth Royster, American, born 1944
• Subject of: Unidentified Man or Men
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 13 3/4 × 13 1/2 in. (34.9 × 34.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (sheet): 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
• Place depicted: Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: American South
• Topic: Christianity
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Photography
• Object number: 2018.41.7
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kenneth Royster in honor of Prof. Samuel L. Green
• 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: © Kenneth Royster Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.