Whodini: Jalil & Ecstacy at the Ritz: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white photograph of Jalil and Ecstacy at The Ritz nightclub in New York City. Jalil, left, wears a dark-colored leather jacket and gloves. Ecstacy (John Fletcher) also wears a dark-colored leather jacket, gloves, and his signature Zorro-style hat. The two are looking straight at the camera, gesturing with their left index and pinky fingers extended towards each other. The background is dark, with lights and figures barely visible.

On the verso is an adhesive label with the Eyejammie.com logo and [Title: Whodini: Jalil and Ecstacy at The Ritz / Photographer: Harry Allen] printed in black text.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: early 1980s
• Photograph by: Harry Allen, American, born 1964
• Subject of: Jalil Hutchins, American, born 1963
• Subject of: Ecstasy, American, born 1964
• Subject of: Whodini, American, founded 1981
• Subject of: The Ritz, American, 1980 - early 1990s
• Type: gelatin silver prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
• Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 10 7/8 × 13 15/16 in. (27.7 × 35.4 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 8 9/16 × 12 7/8 in. (21.8 × 32.7 cm)
• Place captured: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Gesture
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Nightlife
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Rappers (Musicians)
• Topic: Rhythm and blues (Music)
• Object number: 2015.132.41
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• 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: © Harry Allen Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.